Volkswagen Amarok Name Announced for New Pickup Truck

New pick up truck is slated for launch in 2010

By Alex Ricciuti
June 4, 2009 10:11 am
Filed Under: German, Volkswagen

Commercial vehicles in Europe don't have the same mystique that pick-ups do in North America. In Europe, those vehicles don't reside within the mythologized realm of the automotive world. They are simply that - commercial vehicles - and VW calls its division Nutzfahrzeuge in German, which directly translates into "use vehicles".

But now VW is trying something different and it has announced that its new pick-up model will be called the Amarok, a name that means "wolf" in the language spoken by the Inuit (native Eskimos in Northern Canada and Greenland).

The Amarok will be built at VW's Pacheco plant outside of Buenos Aires, Argentina and will be powered by VW's next-generation of common-rail diesel engines. It is slated for launch in 2010, first in South and Central America in the first part of the year and then in Europe and Russia in the summer. The Amarok will also be available in Africa and Australia.

One place it's not going is the US and Canada. Despite the troubles of US automakers, maybe a VW truck is still no match for those stalwarts like the Ford F-150 and the Chevy Silverado.

Source: VW

Press Release (Click to expand)

VOLKSWAGEN COMMERCIAL VEHICLES ANNOUNCES NAME OF NEW PICKUP

The new Volkswagen pickup, showcased as a concept last year and due to be launched in Europe in 2010, is to be called the Amarok.

The new name means ‘wolf' in the language of the Inuit, one of the Eskimo people who live in northern Canada and Greenland who highly regard the wolf as king of the wilderness and a figure of robustness, endurance and superiority. It translates into ‘he loves stones' in the languages spoken in South America.

‘This name fits the characteristics of our pickup perfectly, which will set new standards in its class,' says Stephan Schaller, CEO of Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles. ‘We took great care selecting this name, which can be used globally and is meant to invoke positive associations in all relevant international markets. The Amarok is a powerful and robust vehicle with great stamina - just like the wolf,' he continued.

Developed from scratch, the Amarok will be launched as a double-cab pickup with four-wheel drive, while a single-cab version will be introduced later. It will be powered by Volkswagen's powerful yet efficient, next generation common rail turbo diesel engines which will achieve class leading fuel consumption and emissions.

The Amarok is an important new model in the strategic growth plans for Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles and will be produced at its Pacheco plant near Buenos Aires in Argentina. It will be launched first in South America in early 2010, followed by Central America in Spring 2010, then Russia and Europe in the summer, as well as Africa and Australia. Prices, specifications and on-sale dates for the UK will be announced next year.

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Tags: VW pick up, Amarok, Amarok pickup truck

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Comments

Renegade

June 4, 2009 3:17 pm

Stupid name, pointless and ugly car.

howe2002

June 4, 2009 3:31 pm

Yeah and have a nice day! BTW Not a car, duh.

N20_Purge

June 4, 2009 3:49 pm

The car isn't ugly, but it is dull and I agree on the pointless part.

Bremen_Koenigsegg

June 4, 2009 4:20 pm

That is just about the worst commercial I've ever seen.

politz

June 4, 2009 4:33 pm

yes, it is dull and bizarrely named, but... not pointless at all in latin america, the middle east or thailand.

maloparac

June 4, 2009 5:31 pm

If this is a ugly UV than Toyota Hilux and clones are also ugly because they have the same platform and chasis. And on the pictures is a concept with baywatch theme which is never gona hapened. It will be cheap, reliable, economic and universall. So this could and will be very selled UV...wona bet

Flachzwilling

June 5, 2009 4:21 am

Nope...the Amarok has nothing in common with the HiLux. You are probably mixing it up with VWs first pick up, the Taro, which was actually a license-built Toyota HiLux.

NForce

June 4, 2009 5:44 pm

VW, leave the Amarok's (amarok.kde.org) name alone :(

Bristol411S3

June 5, 2009 5:08 am

What is going on with VWs naming department? First the Toerag, now the Anorak.

I think it looks quite sexy for a pick up and looks count to self employed tradesmen who are "stuck" with a pickup but because it may also function as a family vehicle don't wish to sacrifice style.

And the Baywatch thing could happen - the UK RNLI Lifeguards up and down the country's surf beaches currently use HiLuxes for beach patrols if I remember; a swap to Anoraks needn't be out of the question if they're priced well.

davethepetrolhead

June 5, 2009 7:32 am

I quite like it but i think the name seems a tad lame too region specific considering its not going to be sold in the US or Canada.

maloparac

June 5, 2009 10:31 am

FLACHZWILLING!!!!!!!!!

YES! IF YOU SEE TEST MULE PICTURES AND TEXT ABOUT IT YOU WILL FOUD OUT THAT ONLY DIFFERENCE IS FRONT GRILL, INTERIOR AND REAR DOOR GLASS IN DOUBLE CAB

Flachzwilling

June 5, 2009 11:19 am

No need for screaming, maloparac. Nevertheless, it's utter bullsh*t. The Amarok is an independent VW construction from bumper to bumper. Sure, VW might have used some HiLux-Bodies to disguise their mules (btw: that's what mules are normally) and perhaps also for benchmarking, but nothing more. But if you can show me some proof, you're welcome...

scratchy996

June 5, 2009 11:18 am

great ,now i have the baywatch theme song stuck in my head...

HEMI426

June 5, 2009 12:48 pm

Better make one like this http://stadium.weblogsinc.com/autoblog/hirezpics/AAC_1280.jpg

maloparac

June 6, 2009 10:23 pm

Sorry budy, to much simularity, true it will be not just rebadged, but it will be like Golf MK 5 and MK 6 - not the same hood, side panels and bumpers, but the whole body is the same. If you compare pictures they have same place for side blinkers, doors and cabin have same shape, same side and place for fuel tank, even door handholles are the same! HxWxL looks the same.... so will shall wait 2010 for werdict.

Flachzwilling

June 7, 2009 8:36 am

Hmm...seems that you're right: 4 door cab, cargo bed, 4WD...oh, wait a minute...that's what pick up trucks are all about! Bwahaha!

Just compare the seam on the a-pillar. Presuming both trucks share the same platform, this seam would be identical on both. But no: it is a lttle bit higher (just as your dear side indicator) on the Amarok. The same goes for the rear doors: on an identical platform it would be too costly to design different doors (concerning their part in structural rigidity in case of a crash - even with a box-on-frame-chassis)...and behold: the Amarok has a small divider on the rear door windows. This all left out: if there was to be a cooperation between Toyota and Volkswagen, something (especially nowadays) would have leaked. You just can't keep such a thing secret.

Gnurb

June 7, 2009 9:59 am

Especially considering that the whole european press is talking about a "new Platform developped by VW", but I suppose Maloparac must have special informations^^. VW has changed a lot since 1989, they had no experience at all in SUV and pick-ups,they signed this agreement about the taro in a difficult time, when the company was trying to expand.Now the only car maker cooperating with VW is..Porsche.

maloparac

June 7, 2009 6:20 pm

And if you wrong...wait 2010 and techical details