222kW Volkswagen Amarok is on its way to SA!

After some interest last year, Volkswagen’s potent petrol-powered Amarok has been all but confirmed to arrive in the second half of the year.

January 10, 2024

CAR Magazine 1 minute read

Ryan Gillingham, a product marketing specialist for Volkswagen, revealed that the firm was interested in introducing a petrol-powered Amarok into Volkswagen’s local, diesel-dominated line-up. The proposed petrol-derivative would be motivated by a 2.3-litre single turbo, four-cylinder capable of producing 222kW and 452Nm, which would afford more power-laden Amarok configurations in our market.

Interestingly, this configuration already exists in the Australian market, designated as the range-topping Amarok Aventura TSI.

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Mated to the petrol power plant is a 10-speed automatic transmission. The range-topping Aussie model has the 4MOTION system, offering four driving modes from two-wheel high range to four-wheel drive high range.

Currently, the local Amarok range is overseen by the three-litre diesel V6-powered Aventura 4MOTION, afforded a power output of 184kW and 600Nm. Fuel consumption is nearly identical between the two Amarok configurations, with the three-litre diesel V6 rated for 10.1L/100km, whereas the smaller 2.3-litre four-cylinder petrol-powered Australian Amarok is rated for 9.9L/100km.

Gillingham previously stated that VW would capitalise on the momentum generated in 2023 as the firm heads into 2024. As such, Gillingham mentioned that we could see the arrival of the petrol-powered Amarok sometime within the second half of this year.

When approached for a comment regarding the anticipated arrival of the 222kW petrol-powered Amarok, Volkswagen South Africa stated: “We are still negotiating price positioning, but the earliest introduction will be in the second half of the year. Performance and image are key drivers for double cab buyers. The double cab category is showing a growing appeal for high-performance bakkies because of the premiumisation of the product offering. We are exploring this as part of our business case.”