Volkswagen Amarok W600 Debuts as Premium Off-Road Pickup

Volkswagen lifts the curtain on the Amarok W600

Volkswagen has introduced the Amarok W600 — a top-tier variant of its second-generation mid-size pickup that positions the German truck among the priciest models in its class. With a starting price of AUD 91,990 (about USD 64,700), the W600 even edges ahead of the Ford Ranger Raptor in sticker shock, despite keeping the Amarok's familiar 3.0-liter turbo diesel powerplant.

Price and market positioning

The W600 is aimed at buyers who want a flagship Amarok with enhanced capability and premium appointments. Base pricing in the U.S. starts at roughly $64,700, but add popular options — an electric roll-top bed cover (~$2,423) and metallic paint (~$773) — and the on-road figure climbs to about $70,230 before taxes and fees. That places the W600 clearly in the premium bracket of mid-size pickups.

Shared DNA with the Ranger, but a different character

Although the second-generation Amarok shares its ladder frame with the Ford Ranger and even rolls off a Ford assembly line in South Africa, Volkswagen has traditionally avoided a Ranger Raptor-style hard-core model. The W600 changes that perception by offering a more rugged, better-equipped Amarok without turning it into a full-on performance truck.

Design and equipment highlights

The W600 adopts a number of visual and functional upgrades:

• 20-inch black alloy wheels shod with Michelin Pilot Sport 4 SUV tires
• Redesigned front bumper and pronounced wheel-arch extensions
• Electrically deployable side steps and twin exhaust outlets
• Savona leather upholstery and branded stitched headrests
• Heated front seats, aluminium sports pedals
• 12-inch infotainment touchscreen and Harman Kardon 8-speaker audio as standard

These features help the Amarok W600 feel like a premium lifestyle pickup, equal parts city slicker and weekend trail partner.

Suspension and chassis tweaks

Unlike a straight cosmetic package, the W600 benefits from genuine chassis work by Volkswagen’s tuning partner: frequency-selective dampers, bespoke valve calibration, a thicker 22 mm rear anti-roll bar, and revised steering tuning for crisper turn-in. The result is a truck aimed at sharper handling and improved composure over mixed surfaces.

Performance: familiar engine, familiar limits

Despite its premium price, the Amarok W600 retains the standard 3.0-liter inline-six turbo diesel with 247 hp (approx.) and 600 Nm of torque. Power is sent through a 10-speed automatic to a full-time four-wheel-drive system.

That output leaves the W600 well short of the Ranger Raptor’s brute force: Ford’s Raptor extracts about 392 hp and 583 Nm from its 3.0-liter twin-turbo V6. In raw performance metrics, the Amarok W600 is therefore outgunned, even as it offers a more refined, luxury-focused package.

Future upgrades could change the game

Volkswagen executives have hinted that performance upgrades may come later, and an even more off-road-focused variant has not been ruled out. If VW follows through, a higher-performance Amarok could close the gap to the Ranger Raptor and make the W600 family a more direct competitor.

Who should consider the Amarok W600?

The W600 suits buyers who value premium trim, strong chassis tuning and a distinctive, upscale pickup experience over outright horsepower. It delivers impressive equipment levels and some genuine underpinnings improvements, but buyers seeking maximum off-road performance or straight-line speed may still favor the Raptor.

'In short, the Amarok W600 is Volkswagen’s statement truck: premium, capable and expensive — with room to grow into a true performance contender.'