JOHANNESBURG - South African armoured vehicle specialist SVI is now doing bullet-resistant conversions on the 190kW Volkswagen Amarok V6 TDI.
The conversions take around 12 weeks, SVI says, and customers can choose from various options, with the SVI B4 package (handgun protection level) starting at R433 000 and the B6 conversion (which also covers assault rifles like the AK47) costing from R655 000 before options.
The more affordable B4 package is touted as the “perfect anti-hijack solution” and furthermore it only adds 280kg to the Amarok’s kerb weight, versus 650kg in the case of the B6 package. However, it appears clients tend to opt for the B6 protection level, which is described as the “ultimate civilian level of armoured protection” due to the fact that it can stop bullets from assault rifles such as the AK47 and R1.
According to SVI, the conversion entails stripping the interior to the bare metal and meticulously building the vehicle up as an armoured unit.
Special steel armoured plates and composite materials are used for the body and 38mm thick armoured glass replaces the original glazing. The suspension is upgraded too, in order to cope with the 650kg of additional mass.
However, despite all that extra cladding, the vehicle still looks identical to the standard Amarok on the outside.
SVI also offers a warranty of one-year or 50 000km on its armouring package.
The company also offers various packages for the Ford Ranger models.