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Future models - Volkswagen - Amarok - WalkinshawNew Volkswagen Amarok Walkinshaw confirmedSuccessful VW/Walkinshaw collab rebooted for second-gen with broader range on the table8 Apr 2025 By NATHAN PONCHARD and TOM BAKER A SECOND generation of Volkswagen Amarok Walkinshaw has been greenlit, with the final design of the first variant in a possible line of models locked in.
Previewed by a sole, shadowy rendering, testing of the fettled dual-cab ute is set to commence within months ahead of an Australian release in the summer of 2026.
GoAuto understands it will be based on the mid-spec Style variant and powered by a V6 turbo-diesel with Walkinshaw’s modifications having a bitumen bias like those of the previous-generation Amarok W580S as opposed to the additional off-road chops of the W580X.
The announcement that Volkswagen Group Australia (VGA) has formally renewed its collaboration with Walkinshaw Automotive Group (WAG) was made at a Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles (VWCV) briefing in Sydney attended by VWCV chief executive Carsten Intra, VGA managing director Karsten Seifert, and WAG director Ryan Walkinshaw.
"We have had a couple of Amaroks in our workshop for a while now. We're ready to go, and we will begin testing towards the end of this year," Mr Walkinshaw told GoAuto.
"We now have all designs approved internally between ourselves and Volkswagen. Now it goes into tooling, long lead time items, and bringing the right suppliers into the equation to support the program."
Three variants of Amarok Walkinshaw were released under the partnership between 2020 and 2022 – the final years of the ute's 11-year local run.
Based on the first-generation Amarok (which used a Volkswagen platform), more than 2600 examples of the 'GT'-esque W580/W580S, off-road-orientated W580X and limited-run W580SE variants were sub-assembled in Australia.
The 'W-series' Amarok was regarded by VGA as a shining success, and a decision to reboot the VGA-WAG partnership is understood by GoAuto to have been made in early 2023, as reported at that time.
Confirmation of the second-generation Amarok Walkinshaw sets that course of action in stone and provides a clear timeline to customer deliveries.
Like all other second-generation Amarok variants, the renewed Walkinshaw variant – or variants – will be based upon the T6.2 toolkit chassis, for which the Ford Ranger serves as the lead vehicle and which Volkswagen adapted, under the Ford-VW platform-sharing strategy.
"This time (we will) go even further than we went before," said Mr Walkinshaw.
"There is some opportunity potentially to add a few different variants that we may have had the ambition to do last time. (WAG) can invest more money because (there is) a longer period to get a return on investment."
Such investment has been substantial, as the fettled second-gen Amarok will be sub-assembled within WAG's new 100,000 square metre manufacturing facility in Dandenong, Victoria, that is set to come online in late 2025.
The rendering released by VGA of the new Amarok Walkinshaw reveals bespoke visual changes when compared to the dual flagships of the series-production Amarok (the rugged Pan Americana and the luxury Aventura), which measure an identical 5362mm in length, 1917mm in width, and 1884mm in height.
By contrast, the Amarok Walkinshaw clearly sports a unique grille design, full-width LED light bar connecting matrix LED headlights, unpainted guard extensions front and rear, a rear sailplane, low-set side steps, large alloy wheels and what appear to be road-orientated high-performance tyres – heavily implying that the initial Amarok Walkinshaw release will have a sporty focus.
"The (W580S) GT variant was the highest volume (in the previous Amarok Walkinshaw)," revealed Mr Walkinshaw.
"The response from customers across all three variants was very positive. I believe there were a lot of people (interested in) the W580X that were upset that there were not more in the market to be able to get their hands on."
VGA national conversion manager Andrew Hester confirmed the on-road focus for the new model, describing the W580S as a “GT on-road version” which “was more of the halo model”.
“It also fills a gap in our product line-up as well; everyone else is going for that Baja, off-road style, this is more road-focused."
VGA representatives – and Mr Walkinshaw – would not be drawn on which powertrain has been selected for the vehicle but Mr Hester later confirmed the model would use a V6 TDI.
In VW parlance, the V6 TDI is a Ford-sourced 3.0-litre turbo-diesel engine producing 190kW/600Nm, potentially to be badged Amarok W600S given following the 580Nm torque output of its predecessor being used for the W580S nomenclature.
Beyond visual changes, WAG will implement chassis and suspension modifications, wider stance, wider track width, and special tyres.
"It's in our DNA," said Mr Walkinshaw when asked if the new model would maintain the previous generation's impressive on-road and racetrack performance.
When it was last sold, the 'final edition' Amarok W580SE model cost $86,990 plus on-road costs in Australia, about a 17 per cent premium over the pricing of the top-end, series-production Amarok of the time (the TDI580 Aventura), which cost $73,990 + ORC.
If a similar ratio held for the new-generation Amarok Walkinshaw, pricing of the high-performance special could land in the mid-$90,000 range considering the $82,990 + ORC price tag of the contemporary Amarok TDI600 Aventura grade, while the current Ford Ranger Raptor costs $90,400 + ORC.
Although initially launching with one variant, Mr Hester indicated the potential for future expansion: "At the moment, we're going to stick with the spec as you see it. There may be variants developed off it, we don't know yet, but the plan is to start with one spec and then pursue the relationship and also look at the product differentiation as we progress."
With first test vehicles expected on the road by the end of 2025, VGA is targeting a summer 2026 market introduction.
Production volumes are expected to reach around 1000 units per year, compared to the 2600 units over approximately two years for the previous generation.
"We're highly motivated to ensure that this next gen program is going to be even bigger and better," Mr Walkinshaw said.
"Huge thanks to them for their support and their confidence and their trust."  Read more5th of May 2023  VW and Walkinshaw set to ‘go again’New Amarok has performance potential “above and beyond” current rangeAll future models Alfa Romeo Abarth Audi Aston Martin BMW Bentley Chrysler Chevrolet Dodge Citroen Ferrari DS Ford Fiat FPV Foton Haval Great Wall Honda Holden Hyundai HSV Isuzu Infiniti Jeep Jaguar Lamborghini Kia Lexus Land Rover Mazda Maserati Mercedes-Benz McLaren Mini MG Nissan Mitsubishi Peugeot Opel Proton Porsche Renault Ram Saab Rolls-Royce Smart Skoda Subaru SsangYong Tesla Suzuki Volkswagen Toyota VolvoAmarok pricing
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Motor industry newsGoAutoNews is Australia’s number one automotive industry journal covering the latest news, future and new model releases, market trends, industry personnel movements, and international events. |
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