Cars and the public in general will never cease to amaze me. Drive a supercar into town and the question usually is ‘how fast will it go?’
Drive a frugal looking supermini and questions comes a many asking how many miles to the gallon will it do and I write miles as most people still don’t enquire how many litres per 100kms a car will return.
Drive a people carrier and most people look at the rearmost seats and examine the boot space.
Mechanically run vehicles are very much like music, they have their various fan bases just like, rock and roll, Rap, Classical and Country.
Then I drive the likes of the subject of this report into town, the Volkswagen Amarok in Atacama dress and suddenly from the young who are into dance music to those who would have filled Croke Park five times over are drooling over it.
Remarkably, questions they ask are not about top speed, economy or boot space. While the young simply admire its macho looks and yearn to own one someday others ask about its carrying capacity, its towing capability and the size of its engine.
Yes there is something hugely appealing about a pick-up, especially one such as a double cab that allows its users adapt it as a family carrier as well as a load luger.
They are seen as being attractive for many reasons. Let it be transporting the surf boards and towing the Jet Ski, along the motorway to carrying fodder across a muddy field, people have come to appreciate a pick-up as an all round, all types of weather vehicle.
Compared to America we here in Ireland were somewhat slow in taking up the appeal of a pick-up.
While it’s fair to say the greatest popularity here arose around the time of our Celtic Tiger, they have been as common as muck across the Atlantic, decades before some of us remember Lassie being shown in black and white on our TV screens and she being transported in the rear of an old pick-up.
While large pick-ups with big engines may be very much an American thing, big road tax, because of high CO2 levels and high fuel costs as well as the down turn in the economy almost saw the demise of pick-up sales here.
Volkswagen compared to Japanese makes, Ford etc., may have been late arriving into this market but unlike so many competitors they were focused and realised a Pick-up need not have a 2.5, 3.0 litre or even larger engine. They copped on that while we liked the idea of owning a work horse we here in Europe wanted the Macho look with more realistic running and ownership costs attached.
Style wise the Amarok is seen as’ the business’. Sitting on 17” alloys and with a flared arch on each corner it displays not only a look of toughness but because of its smooth contours and tight panel fit it also relays a look of serene quality.
Complete with front fog lights, mud flaps, black anti-roll bar and side bars with steps as well as a rear bumper with an integrated step the function this vehicle mostly displays is one of work.
Inside the Amarok’s cabin an inner ambience not too dissimilar to that of a new Passat is found.
Sitting on Atacama (Audi – like) special seat coverings the pick-up came with climate control, Bluetooth, leather clad multi function steering, gear knob and handbrake lever.
It had cruise control, RNS 310 radio with navigation, multi function display and of course engageable 4 Motion with mechanical rear differential lock for those awkward off-road situations.
Everything was clear, easy to read and equally easy to adjust.
Above all I loved the vehicles high and commanding driving position and the good all round visibility.
From its open and specially coated rugged load area to its well dressed and IT appointed cabin, Volkswagen’s Amarok proves a load lugging vehicle need not resemble a Lassie carrier of yesteryear.
Powered by a 2.0 litre 180bhp turbo diesel engine this pick-up did not show itself to be wanting in the power stakes. Power to a 4 x 4 is not just about motorway or secondary road performance, it’s about having a balance for such as well as having off-road and pulling ability, let it be a trailer, horse –box or even a boat.
With the engine mated to a smooth and nicely spaced six-speed gearbox, refinement from under this vehicles bonnet proved very amicable.
Smooth in operation, driving and getting the best economy from the Amarok should be all about adapting a steady, unflustered driving approach.
Treat it as if driving a hot-hatch (a lot of skill involved) and the big Volkswagen will drop to returning 10.4L/100km (26mpg) quiet easily. Treat it as if it was a lovely Clydesdale; see it as a work-horse rather than race-horse and 7.6L/100km (37mpg) can be achieved.
Driving un-laden on a poor surfaced road (and there is plenty of them around) and the Amarok can show the discomfort of riding a camel. (Yes, been there done that) Applying weight to its flat load area though it’s nicely designed and robust drop down tailgate and ride quality improved greatly.
Although the vehicle had standard front and rear parking sensors, parking in the likes of a multi-story car park could induce a kind of a nightmare scenario for some.
While this vehicle because of its five person carrying capacity can adapt even for the school run, its natural habitat is more in keeping to wide open spaces.
The Volkswagen Amarok is the type of vehicle that can adapt to so many uses.
It can comply with meeting many commercial demands yet be fitting to carry a family with an inner quality and fit one would expect from a good saloon car.
While it received many favourable comments from the human source, I’m left wondering what the likes of ‘Lassie’ would think of the German work-horse.
Stats
Volkswagen Amarok Crew Cab Pick-up
Engine 2.0 litre diesel
Power 180bhp
Transmission 6-speed manual
CO2 199g/km
Commercial Road Tax €330
Private Annual Road Tax €710
Fuel Economy 7.6L/100km (37mpg) to 10.4L/100km (26mpg)
Gross Carrying weight 1039 kgs.
Towing Capacity 3000 kg.
Wheelbase length 3095mm
Price Test Model €36,308
VAT €8,375
VRT €6087
Total price €50,777
By Tony Conlon