Home News Volkswagen Amarok Aventura 3.0 – Review and Test Drive

Volkswagen Amarok Aventura 3.0 – Review and Test Drive

This is one of four pickups to be tested by Tartan Tarmac recently. Jumping into it straight after another manufacturer’s pickup was startling. Like jumping out of a Defender and into a Range Rover. My immediate thought was that it surely must be in a different league of cost. I like to drive a car before looking at the price, so I was guessing what the cost might be and I was guessing big.

Turns out I was right. There’s the price of a Volkswagen Polo between this Amarok and the offerings from Mitsubishi and Isuzu. Ye pays yer money and takes yer choice – but what a choice. I was genuinely disappointed to hand the keys back and I really miss the Amarok.

I like the chunky square unfussy looks of the Amarok. I think a pickup is a chunky thing in the first place, so why not? The nice metallic blue of this test car didn’t hurt either.

Size-wise you do notice the difference over, say the Mitsubishi L200. The Amarok is wide. It also has one of the biggest cargo areas. It’ll take 1 tonne in the back and tow 3.1 tonnes of braked trailer. There is loads of room in every sense.

Inside you are struck by the sense of being in a well-resolved modern vehicle. The electronics are well-integrated into the dash, the instrument binnacle and the steering wheel. It meets the demands you would have of a car, not just a pickup. Storage is good, there are places to put your phone and other items and the materials give an upmarket air of quality.

The seats are good but they were the least impressive part of the interior for me. They look and feel very slab-like, perhaps at the expense of initial comfort, but I experienced no problems on longer drives.

Driving the Amarok was a bit of a revelation compared to some of its competition. However that’s not such a surprise given the specification and price.

The engine is very powerful and delivers its grunt really smoothly and evenly. The eight speed, multi-mode, automatic gearbox is inobtrusive. A lot of gearboxes like that can swap cogs too much. Anyone who has ever driven a Nissan GTR on a boring semi-urban journey can testify to that, but this one did well. The 4MOTION drive system works away without troubling you with the details.

I found the ride to be extremely comfortable, while also giving good feedback. I really felt like I could tell what the chassis was up to, particularly at the front. Between the power delivery and the chassis feedback, it really did make you want to go driving, which for a pickup is pretty impressive.

The only negative comment on the driving experience is the variable power steering. It’s not unique to this vehicle, but at higher speeds, the car is designed to drastically reduce the amount of steering assistance. This gives a good solid feeling through the wheel and its very reassuring on the motorway where you aren’t changing direction so much, but it takes some getting used to on a fast road that’s still a bit winding.

In summary, it really does boil down to money. If you spend a lot of time in your pickup and value getting to your destination (with your one tonne pallet in the back!) as smoothly and unruffled as possible, then please allow me to recommend the Amarok. If business is good and a little extravagance wouldn’t hurt your tax bill, then please allow me to recommend the Amarok. If cost is King and you won’t miss the better driving experience then……maybe not.

There’s a clear difference….and you pay for it. (Did I mention I miss it already?)

PRICE: £32,865 CV (£39,381 inc tax)

ENGINE: 3.0 litre, V6, 24v common rail diesel

POWER: 224 PS

TORQUE: 406 lb ft

PERFORMANCE: Top speed 119 mph, 0-62 mph 8.0 secs

CONSUMPTION: 36.2 mpg (offical combined)

CO2: 204 g/km

TT Rating: TT Rating 4

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