Melbourne - It’s common knowledge that the next-generation Volkswagen Amarok will be built by Ford, while sharing most of its DNA with the new Ranger. But many VW fans have also been wondering if there’s going to be a Raptor equivalent.
Sadly it appears that this won’t be happening.
According to CarsGuide, Ford Performance vehicle program director Ali Jammoul stated that Ford would not be sharing any of its Raptor technology with the Amarok.
“We want to protect Raptor. I am happy that this is Ford’s decision,” Jammoul told Australian media.
As a reminder, the new Ford Ranger Raptor is powered by a 3.0-litre V6 turbopetrol engine that produces 292kW and 583Nm, and just as importantly it comes with an updated version of the current Watt’s link rear suspension system complete with Fox Live Valve shocks.
Volkswagen has previously expressed interest in getting its own equivalent of the Raptor, and apparently some execs have requested this. However, Ford wants its halo performance model to itself and that’s perfectly understandable.
That’s not to say that there won’t be a hotter version of the next Volkswagen Amarok. CarsGuide previously reported that, as a backup plan, the company could again turn to Australian engineering firm Walkinshaw, which has already created the W580s and W580X versions of the current Amarok for the Aussie market. These vehicles feature modified suspension, all-terrain tyres and various design enhancements.
In terms of power, Volkswagen has already confirmed that the new Amarok will be offered with Ford’s new 3.0-litre turbodiesel engine, which produces 184kW and 600Nm, which is 6kW down but 20Nm up on VW’s current 3.0 TDI.
You can also expect it to inherit a raft of driver assist and cargo management systems from the new Ford Ranger as VW says the newcomer will offer “considerably more” driver assist systems than the current model including innovations that have not been seen before in this segment.
While virtually all of its oily bits will be shared with the Ford, Volkswagen says the exterior and interior styling will be sufficiently modified to ensure that the new Amarok feels like a vehicle from Wolfsburg.
It will, incidentally, be rolling off Ford’s Silverton assembly line right here in South Africa.
The international launch of the new Volkswagen Amarok is also set to take place in SA later this year.
IOL Motoring