The 2022 Volkswagen Amarok Fords Into the Future

• The second-generation VW Amarok will arrive at dealers near the end the year.

• The new Amarok won’t make its way to the United States but will head to Australia, New Zealand, and countries in Europe and Africa.

• The VW Amarok will be available with five engine options and four transmission options depending on the truck’s market.

You might not realize it if reading this in the United States, but Volkswagen does offer a pickup truck. Kicking off in 2011, the VW Amarok has given Volkswagen fans a way to haul sheets of plywood in the various markets that see this pickup. After over 10 years in service for Volkswagen, the Amarok is seeing a second generation. This next-gen pickup sports more space and capabilities than the previous model and enough engines to meet your mid-size pickup needs.

While some automakers are starting to pare down engine offerings to streamline manufacturing, design, and ordering, VW is offering five engine options in this Amarok. Not all of these engine options will be available in every market, but VW is offering three versions of a 2.0-liter four-cylinder diesel, a 3.0-liter V6 diesel, and a 2.3-liter turbocharged four-cylinder gasoline engine. If those engine options seem similar to what you’ll find under the hood of Ford’s Ranger, that’s not an accident. Controlling these powertrains is a handful of transmission options. Volkswagen will replace the eight-speed automatic in the current Amarok with a 10-speed automatic, but will also offer six-speed automatics and two manual transmissions depending on the engine and market. That power travels to all four wheels by way of the VW 4Motion all-wheel-drive system. The company notes the all-wheel-drive system is standard in many markets.

Of course, regardless of your engine and transmission choice, you’re going to expect your new Amarok to do truck stuff. Volkswagen says the 2022 Amarok can carry 1.16 metric tonnes worth of payload, which translates to 1.28 tons, or 2557 pounds. The bed is designed to also accommodate a euro-standard pallet on its side between the wheel wells of the bed, with the single-cab version holding two pallets. The Amarok also sports an electronically controlled bed cover to help hide your cargo from prying public eyes.

Trucks are often expected to do more than just haul stuff, too. The VW Amarok should be more capable off-road than the previous model. Shorter overhangs help with more aggressive approach angles. Volkswagen also cranked up the Amarok’s fording depth from the previous model’s 19.7-inches to a 31.5-inch fording depth. Volkswagen will also offer a slew of accessories to make the new Amarok even more capable off the beaten path.

Of course, the most important part of the truck, for the driver, is the cabin. Volkswagen will offer the Amarok in single and DoubleCab configurations. The DoubleCab, four-door Amarok gives the folks in the cab more space than the current Amarok and might better suit the daily grind drivers will face, with the single-cab variant more directed towards dedicated work. Consumer tech in the interior is what you’d expect from a modern pickup: an 8.0-inch digital gauge cluster is standard with the 12.0-inch Digital Cockpit available. The infotainment screen follows a similar pattern: 10.0-inch touchscreens are standard with 12.0-inch screens available. Physical buttons help control important features like radio volume and drivetrain controls.

The Amarok is scheduled to hit Volkswagen dealers before the end of the year. Those dealers unfortunately won’t be inside the United States. Volkswagen is launching the Amarok in Australia, New Zealand, countries in Africa, the Middle East, and Europe.

Do you think VW would ever bring the Amarok to the United States? Let us know your thoughts below.