The Amarok has been with us for a long time, having initially being launched in 2010 and receiving new engines in 2013 and a revamp in 2016, so its replacement is long overdue.
While there’s no official word on when this might be revealed, we wouldn’t be surprised if the second-gen adopts VW’s new corporate design language that’s so vividly displayed by the 2019 Touareg.
This rendering, penned by Geoffrey Garitey, depicts just that, with the pickup truck featuring a totally new front end, a raised bonnet, different-shaped windows, wider wheel arches and tweaked doors.
While this design would definitely work for with the successor of the Amarok, the vehicle won’t have much in common with the new Touareg.
In fact, while the latter sits on the MQB architecture, the former will still have a body-on-frame construction, which will allow it to tackle the Mercedes-Benz X-Class along with other mid-size pickup trucks.
Watch: VW Amarok V6 takes on the 2017 Ford Ranger XLT in Australia
The Amarok is being built at VW’s plant in Argentina and is available in Europe, South America, Oceania, Russia and South Africa – but, despite previous reports to the contrary, it won’t be introduced in the North American market.
The German manufacturer has instead decided to show a pickup truck version of its Atlas SUV in the form of the Tanoak concept at the 2018 New York Auto Show.
The production model, which will be VW’s pickup truck for North America, will be underpinned by the same platform as the Atlas and its upcoming sporty version, previewed by the Cross Sport Concept. It will be manufactured at the company’s Chattanooga, Tennessee plant, and will rival the likes of the Toyota Tacoma and Honda Ridgeline.
