Volkswagen is working on another new Amarok

For the second-generation Amarok, VW borrowed Ford Ranger mechanicals instead of going it alone. However, the original model is still being made and sold in South America, where it underwent a facelift last year. Now a successor is in the works, and once again it will be a collaboration but not with Ford.

Instead, VW will give its new truck Chinese DNA. Motor1.com Argentina reports that the workhorse borrows SAIC Group technology. It is developed specifically for the South American market and will be built in Argentina from 2027 at the Pacheco plant. 

The new Amarok for South America could be similar beneath the skin to the Maxus Interstellar X. Therefore, the new vehicle would be moving from a ladder-frame chassis to a monocoque body. In China, the dual-cab ute uses a 2.5L turbodiesel or two electric motors. 

Trucks co-developed by two different brands haven’t always worked out well. Mercedes culled its the Navara-based X-Class after only three years on the market. It’s a different situation with the Amarok, however, because the model VW and SAIC have been collaborating for decades in China. And the model being developed for South America will likely sell only there. 

The upcoming ute will use about 50 percent of the factory machinery from the existing Taos production line in Pacheco, even though the two products are unrelated. Taos is a compact crossover based on the MQB A1 platform that underpins Ateca and Karoq.