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The Volkswagen Amarok is a mid-size pickup truck built by Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles (VWCV). The Amarok range consists of single cab and double cab, combined with either rear-wheel drive or 4motion four-wheel drive, and is powered by Turbocharged Direct Injection (TDI) diesel engines. VWCV considers the Toyota Hilux, Nissan Navara and Mitsubishi Triton to be Amarok competitors.

History
In 2005, Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles announced their intent to build the Robust Pick-Up and off road family of vehicles.

In 2007, popular automotive website WorldCarFans.com publishes first photos captured by RoAnSa Carspy Photography of the development mule of the Robust Pick Up concept vehicle wearing Toyota Hilux body upon a Volkswagen developed chassis.



In March 2008, famed automotive spy photographer Hans Lehmann captures the first image of the Robust Pick up wearing a production body which is designed by Walter de'Silva.

In September 2008, Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles releases the Robust Pick Up concept in the disguise as a Search and Rescue (SAR) vehicle, which previews the full design, and is said to be 95% close to the production version.

The Amarok, the first pickup from Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles, was presented to the general public in General Pacheco, Argentina on the 7th of December 2009 with the President of Argentina Cristina Kirchner attending.

Following the Launch in Argentina, the Amarok was a key support vehicle in the 2010 Dakar Rally with 45 vehicles participating. German rocker, founder of the Scorpions, guitarist Rudolf Schenker, is a supporter of the Amarok and himself drove one during the 2010 Dakar Rally.

In November 2010 the Amarok was awarded 4 stars from Euro NCAP under the 2010/2011 standard crash testing procedure.

In February 2011 the Amarok received a 5 stars award from the ANCAP - The Australasian New Car Assessment Program.

Naming
The name 'Amarok' was developed and researched by branding agency Interbrand on request from Volkswagen.

Revealed to the public on 4 June 2009, "Amarok" means "Wolf" in the Inuit language, and Interbrand also claims it is associated with "he loves stones" in Romanic [sic] languages. (Although recursing that phrase back into Romance languages produces significant differences, e.g. in Spanish "él ama a las rocas".) It also resembles "tomorrow" in Irish. It is also the title of a 1990 record album by musician Mike Oldfield, a 2000 album of the German black metal solo project Nargaroth and the name of an open-source music player (version 1.0 in 2004).

Engines
The Amarok is powered by a range of Turbocharged Direct Injection (TDI) common rail diesel engines, and Fuel Stratified Injection (FSI) petrol engine.

As of 2010, the engine range consists of two 2.0L Turbocharged Direct Injection (TDI) common rail diesel engines which is taken from the Volkswagen_Transporter_(T5), it has been tuned for more torque but less power; the entry-level version produces 90 kW which develops a maximum torque of 340 Nm from 2000 rpm. The top of the line bi-turbo version produces 120 kW which develops a maximum torque of 400 Nm from 1500 rpm.

Fuel consumption in a combined cycle format is as low as 7.6 L/100 km on the rear wheel drive variant to 8.1 L/100 km on the 4Motion theoretically giving the Amarok a 1000 km range before filling up for fuel.

As of the 2012 Model Year Volkswagen has introduced two more engine configurations, 2.0L TDI 90kW motor upgraded to 103kW of power and a 2.0L Bi-TDI which has an optional 8-speed ZF engineered automatic transmission.

Driveline
The Amarok has three drive concepts: rear wheel drive, Shiftable 4Motion and Permanent 4Motion. The Shiftable all wheel drive system can shift drive between the axles whereas the Permanent full time all wheel drive system distributes power through a Torque Sensing (Torsen) differential with a 40:60 ratio between the front and rear axles.

Production sites and figures
The Amarok is currently being produced in the Volkswagen Group plant in General Pacheco, Argentina; for South American, Mexican, Russian, South African, Oceanian and Eurpean markets.

It is expected to produce 90,000 Amaroks annually once production it is at full capacity.

The Hanover site was dropped from possible sites to produce the Amarok due to the Global Financial Crisis and increasing economic costs in Europe in 2009.

In September 2010 it was decided by the Volkswagen Group Board of Management that 40,000 Amarok pickups will be built in Hanover, Germany for the European and small volume markets from the middle of 2012.

The 100,000th Amarok was produced on the 8th of October 2011.

Production Figures:
 * 2009 = 193
 * 2010 = 44,525
 * 2011 = 25,518 (until May 2011)

Model lines
Three equipment lines will be offered on the Amarok; base version, Trendline and Highline.

Base version
The base version comes equipped with 16-inch steel wheels, height-adjustable front seats, variable folding rear bench seats, locking glove box, cargo platform lighting, antenna integrated within wing mirrors, manual window regulators, manual door locking and manual wing mirror adjustment. The front bumper, wing mirrors and door handles come in black.

Trendline
The Trendline grade has over the base version electrically operated door locking, electric windows and wing mirror adjustment as well as a radio with a CD player, climate control (Climatic), multi-functional display, cruise control, front fog lights, 17-inch aluminium wheels. Also painted in the body colour are the front bumper, door handles and wing mirrors.

Highline
The Highline grade has over the Trendline part chrome mirror housings, chrome strips on radiator grille and around the fog lights, chrome rear bumper bar 18-inch aluminium wheels, automatic climate control (Climatronic), leatherette/leather fabric on the interior.

Platform variants


The Amarok was launched in a Double Cab variant with the Single Cab first launching in late 2011 in South Africa and Europe

Other variants
In 2006 the Australian publication Transport Today reported that Phil Clark, Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles Director in Australia, was trying to convince Volkswagen's head office to add a chassis cab programme to Project RPU.
 * Chassis cab

Cab Chassis variants of both the Single Cab and Double Cab will launch with the 2012 Model Year range.

Rumoured platform spin-offs include a five to seven seat SUV to compete with Nissan Xterra and Toyota Hilux SW4 to be built in Brazil for the South American and European markets.
 * Spin-offs

Amarok Owners Club
The International Amarok Owners Club was started in September 2011 and was part of the VW Amarok Forum, where it was first mentioned in May 2011. . The International Amarok Owners Club and VW Amarok Forum have started to created the first ever VW Amarok Modified Project Car as a group.

The first Amarok Owners Club Off-Road weekend is proposed for September 8th & 9th 2012, organised by one of the VW Amarok Forum moderators, 'Asher'.

Amarok and Scorpions
Scorpions' band nucleus, Rudolf Schenker, Klaus Meine and Matthias Jabs are associated since 2009 to the promotion of the Amarok. Rudolf Schenker is the most involved, since his participation in the 2010 Paris-Dakar Rally. Later in 2010, he and the special project division of VW teamed in the design of a unique, custom Amarok, done with the graphics of the Scorpions band and fitted with a 3D, lighted scorpion tail. Rudolf Schenker is featured since November 2010 in numerous blogs and automobile websites with the "Scorpions" Amarok and an equally custom "VW Flying V" guitar built by PGG Guitars in Canada.

Awards

 * Auto Esporte - Pickup of the Year 2011 (Brazil)
 * Auto Test - Cruze, One and Amarok, the best of the year according Auto Test (Argentina)
 * Parabrisas - Pickup of the Year 2011 (Argentina)
 * MotorTransport - International Pickup Truck of the Year (UK)
 * OFF ROAD - Pickup of the Year 2011 (Germany)
 * Magazin Jäger - Goldenen Keiler (Golden Boar) Best Hunting Car (Germany)
 * ROAD - Russian Automobile Dealers Golden Klaxon - Special Vehicles Class (Russia)
 * What Van? - Pickup of the Year 2012 (UK)
 * 4X4 Australia - Ute of the Year 2011 (Australia)
 * Delivery - Ute of the Year 2011 (Australia)
 * Zoo Magazine - Manliest Motor of the Year 2011 (UK)
 * British Insurance Vehicle Security Awards - Best Pickup of the Year 2011 (UK)
 * OFF ROAD - Pickup of the Year 2012 (Germany)

Search and Rescue Pickup concept
Volkswagen revealed their one tonne pickup study at the 2008 IAA Commercial Vehicle Show in September; the SAR Pickup measures 5.18 m in length and 1.9 m in width, and the 1.55 m long cargo bed can carry a Euro sized broad pallet sideways.

SAR Pickup concept also was equipped for Lifeguards with: four mobile CB radios, flashlights, first aid kit with a defibrillator, binoculars, two safety helmets, removable neoprene seats for hard wearing, and a blue light roof module with integrated searchlight.

Possible production features that were on the concept: radio navigation system controlled by a multifunction touch screen, differential locks, cable winch and the rear logo opens the tailgate.

2008 SAR Concept Pickup at Melbourne International Motor Show 2009