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A whole host of more powerful double cabs has turned the local bakkie scene upside down.
It has been reported that the petrol powered 222kW Volkswagen Amarok will finally be offered in South Africa before year-end.
Powered by a 2.3-litre EcoBoost turbo petrol engine, the double cab derivative will be the most powerful bakkie in the Amarok stable. The 3.0-litre V6 turbodiesel mill, that is offered in three models and produces 184kW of power and 600Nm of torque, currently holds that distinction.
Local petrol bakkies are few and far between, with the 3.0-litre V6 twin-turbo Ford Ranger Raptor and naturally aspirated 2.7-litre Toyota Hilux the most popular.
222kW Amarok makes a Pitstop
In this week’s episode of The Citizen Motoring Pitstop podcast, we discuss what the 222kW will bring to the table. And where it will fit into the overall local bakkie picture.
The timing of the 222kW/452Nm Amarok’s introduction could have been a lot better. It would have made more sense to introduce the model when Volkswagen got into bed with Ford as production partner. The previous generation’s 190kW 3.0-litre turbodiesel model was most powerful bakkie in South Africa. A 222kW model at the time of launch in 2023 would have been an enticing successor.
But the bakkie power game has changed dramatically since then. The 292kW Raptor raised the stakes, between a raft of new energy Chinese bakkies blew it out of the water. Like the 320kW BYD Shark plug-in hybrid that has dethroned the Ford Ranger Raptor as the fastest local bakkie.
ALSO READ: Report: Petrol engine Volkswagen Amarok here before year-end
Petrol engine imported
Unlike the Struandale-made 2.0-litre single and bi-turbo and 3.0-litre turbodiesel engines Ford fits to the Ranger and Amarok in Silverton, the 2.3-litre EcoBoost engine is imported. Ford combines this mill with an electric motor and battery in the plug-in Ranger, which is only for export markets.
The 222kW Amarok, which is offered only in Aventura guise in Australia, has a 10-speed automatic gearbox.
