When talking about the Volkswagen Amarok, the model sold in markets worldwide immediately comes to mind.
The first generation was a thing between 2010 and 2020, being offered with a gasoline engine and several turbodiesel units. Its successor came out in 2022, and is made in South Africa. This one shares its nuts and bolts with the Ford Ranger and Everest, as well as the Bronco, and just like its predecessor, it is also offered with one gasoline burner, and several diesel mills, depending on where it is sold.
Given that the current Volkswagen Amarok is only four years old, one does not expect the automaker to be preparing an entirely new one. But this is exactly what is happening, albeit with a twist. You see, this one will have very little in common with the Amaroks that came before it, and word on the street is that it will be produced exclusively for South America. Reports indicate that production might take place at the company’s General Pacheco facility in Argentina, which is where the first-generation Amarok is still being put together.
A handful of other markets might also get this model, which is said to have been in the making for a couple of years minimum, and despite that, we still do not know a lot of things about it. In fact, we have to mention what the rumor mill says, and that is that it should be the creation of Volkswagen’s partnership with SAIC. Chances are it could share its nuts and bolts with the Maxus Interstellar X, which is a rugged pickup truck made by SAIC that is also known as the LDV Terron 9.
Photo: Kolesa
As mentioned above, South America never retired the original Volkswagen Amarok, which is still made in Argentina, so this is quite a radical approach, especially since the upcoming Amarok will not have anything in common with the one sold worldwide. Moreover, it also won’t look anything like that one, official teasers have revealed. Now, those teaser images were used by Kolesa’s Nikita Chuyko to come up with a set of realistic renderings, putting the spotlight on this model in an unofficial way.
Care to visually compare the upcoming Volkswagen Amarok for South America with the one sold in markets worldwide that shares its nuts and bolts with the Ford Ranger? Well, the former features a split headlamp design, with the daytime running lights being positioned at the top. These sit right below the hood, and further down, we can see a full-width light bar, interrupted in the middle by the corporate logo. The main clusters are positioned below the light bar, on each side of the quite large grille.
Speaking of the latter, it features a pair of horizontal slats. The lower part of the front bumper is on the chunky side of things, and there is also a splitter-like element attached to it. The hood has a similar style and a clamshell-like design, though it is clearly different. South America’s upcoming Volkswagen Amarok different wheel arch trim, new side steps, fresh side mirrors, and traditional door handles.
Photo: Kolesa
The roofline is a lot flatter, and the angles between this element and the front and rear pillars are more angular. The beltline is quite similar. Out back, it still features the Amarok emblem in the middle of the tailgate, below the corporate logo. The taillights are completely new. They retain their vertical design, though they are bigger and sport new graphics. The rear license plate still sits in the middle of the bumper, though the latter element is completely new, and so are the rear three-quarter panels.
The wheels on which this rendered new-gen Volkswagen Amarok aimed at South America, and potentially other markets, were inspired by the ones on the teased prototype. The vehicle in question features a silver paint finish, has black trim, and tinted windows that prevent us from looking inside. Nevertheless, chances are it might share its cockpit design with the Chinese model mentioned above.
If that’s the case, then it will get a similar dual-screen setup sitting behind the same pane of glass, a two-layer dashboard panel, a two-spoke steering wheel, and not that many physical buttons and knobs. It’s likely that some of these things will be different, as the company would want to differentiate the new VW Amarok from the Maxus Interstellar X, which does not look half bad, if we’re honest, and the name is meant to make it more noticeable.
If everything goes well, then the Volkswagen Amarok for South America might arrive in 2027, reports claim, and we cannot wait to learn more things about it. Meanwhile, what’s your take on the design as realistically imagined by the quoted outlet? Do you favor it over the Amarok sold in markets worldwide? Tell us all about it in the comments area below.