Stretched VW Amarok XL and XXL coming to Oz

The Volkswagen Amarok range of utes will soon be joined by longer Amarok XL and Amarok XXL models in this country, under a new factory-endorsed conversion program previewed to media at Volkswagen Group Australia headquarters in Sydney on Wednesday, November 20.

Conceived by Netherlands firm Veth Automotive and built in Australia in partnership with Adelaide-based Adaptive Manufacturing, the Amarok will soon be available as an Amarok XL with 310mm chassis extension or as an Amarok XXL with 650mm extension.

The models' GVM and braked towing limits will remain unchanged, says Volkswagen, while payload will be reduced marginally to accommodate the added weight of the conversion.

Wheelbases will increase from 3095mm to 3405mm or 3745mm, while overall lengths will extend from 5254mm to 5564mm/5904mm.

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The modified vehicles will hold appeal for emergency services and mining applications in particular, but also for recreational user looking to carry larger, bulkier loads.

The longer variants will also ready the Amarok for conversion to a six-wheel format, for recreational, mining or military use.

Available across all Amarok variants in both four-cylinder and V6 models, the modified vehicles will come with a specific stability control calibration to encompass the longer wheelbases, along with multiple 'gravity height' programs that see the stability control adapt to the nature of the load or body being carried.

While Volkswagen Group Australia says it anticipates the vast majority of buyers will opt for the longer Amaroks in primarily bare cab/chassis or flat-bed formats, the utility version features a colour-matched extension of its cargo box to match the chassis extension.

VGA says the model on show in Sydney, an Amarok Core XL utility, would add a price premium of somewhere approaching $15,000 to the base vehicle. Exact pricing is still to be confirmed, but flat-bed and bare cab/chassis models will be priced appreciably lower.

Local converter Adaptive Manufacturing will offer the Amarok XL and Amarok XXL ready to go as flat-beds with either an alloy or steel flat-bed tray, along with a number of other accessories.

The Amarok XL and Amarok XXL will become available in Australia in mid-2020 and come as part of a concerted push by Volkswagen Group Australia into the field of factory-engineered and factory-endorsed conversions.

Under the banner of 'Convert to Volkswagen', the new program will see Volkswagen's light commercial models, spanning Caddy, Multivan, Transporter, Crafter and Amarok, available here through the brand's full dealer network in all manner of conversions to suit a wide range of private and fleet applications.

Conversions will be available under two streams: 'Engineered to Go' and 'Engineered for You'. The former will encompass a range of turn-key solutions for popular applications, such as a Crafter-based minibus or box truck, while the latter will cover what are essentially bespoke creations to meet specific customer requirements.

In each case, Volkswagen says it will work with a number of carefully selected and approved body builder specialists to maintain the highest possible quality standards.

The program has been available in Europe for many years, and under development here for the last three years.

Importantly, the vehicles offered through the program will retain their full five-year factory warranty, with Volkswagen Group Australia serving as a single point of customer contact for any potential issues.

According to Thomas Oehlerking – Volkswagen Group Area Manager, Conversion Business, Sales International – the aftersales care is critical to the success of the program.

"It's our policy that once we convert the vehicle together with the body builder as a solution for our customer that it has to fulfil the same requirements as for our base vehicle, so the customer knows that whatever happens he is fully covered," he said.

As such, the Volkswagen dealership will be a one-stop shop for any warranty issues.

The addition of the Amarok XL and Amarok XXL will undoubtedly add some further momentum to the nameplate here in Australia, where new registrations (4x4) were down by 7.1 per cent to the end of October. A total of 6880 new Amaroks have been registered year to date, seeing the Amarok slot into seventh place in the segment with a market share of 4.9 per cent.