Now that our long-term VW pick-up has spent a few months on our fleet and been test driven by several members of the team we are getting a good idea of its strengths and weaknesses.
The former, it should be noted, outweigh the latter. Our Amarok’s eight-speed automatic transmission has made an especially favourable impression – operating smoothly both in heavy traffic and out on the open road.
As one driver put it, the two-peddle system makes the drive more luxurious than workmanlike while letting you feel the power of the 180hp drivetrain under the bonnet.
Having been used on many occasions as a family vehicle, the Amarok’s levels of in –cab comfort and roominess are also appreciated.
Also, for such a large vehicle it is surprisingly agile and with good vision from the driver’s position and excellent parking sensors, one can venture into tight spots – such as Saturday afternoon supermarket car parks – without trepidation.
The Bluetooth passed the “can I do this without referring to the handbook test” with ease and the sat nav is user-friendly too.
Overall, the Amarok has proven to be one of the best dual purpose family/work pick-ups we have come across.