Volkswagen Amarok 2023: new Ford-sourced engine line-up confirmed but Raptor’s twin-turbo V6 not on the cards

Volkswagen has unveiled its second-generation Amarok and in doing so has locked in the details for its new engine line-up – but the Ford Ranger Raptor’s 292kW petrol V6 is not on the cards. 

A total of five engines will be offered for the Amarok globally, and the German car manufacturer has now confirmed they will all come from Ford, meaning the famed V6 from the outgoing Volkswagen ute will not be found in the new one.

Turbo-diesel V6 to lead the range

A 3.0-litre turbo-diesel V6 engine producing 184kW of power (and likely 600Nm or torque) will likely serve as the flagship engine in Australia. In Europe, this engine is also offered in a 177kW state of tune to meet local emissions standards.

The twin-turbo-diesel four-cylinder found in the current-generation Ranger has been further developed and will be offered in a 154kW state of tune. Peak torque will likely come in at 500Nm.

A single turbo version of the diesel four-pot will also be offered in some markets making 110kW or 125kW, though this is unlikely to make an appearance in Australia.

One surprise addition to the range is a 2.3-litre turbo-petrol four-cylinder engine producing 222kW, making it the most powerful engine in the selection.

The V6 engine, twin-turbo-diesel and single-turbo petrol will likely be paired to a 10-speed automatic transmission, while the remaining engines will be offered with a six-speed automatic as well as a six- and five-speed manual in certain markets.

Volkswagen has confirmed that both a full-time and part-time four-wheel-drive ‘4Motion’ system will be available on the Amarok, with the former likely paired exclusively with the V6, as seen with the Ranger.

However, in a heartbreaking moment for many fans, Volkswagen has confirmed that there are currently no plans to adopt the absurdly powerful 292kW/583Nm 3.0 twin-turbo-petrol engine found in the Ranger Raptor. 

Ford engines tuned by Volkswagen

While Volkswagen executives at the launch of the second-generation Amarok did confirm that the engine line-up was sourced from Ford, adopting the new line-up of powerplants was a bit more complicated than just copy and paste.

As both Volkswagen and Ford worked in conjunction on the development of the new Ranger and Amarok from the beginning, the folks from Wolfsburg – and its Melbourne-based development team – were able to play a significant role in taking the existing V6 ‘Lion’ engine and the tried-and-tested ‘Bi-Turbo’ engine to the next level.

By doing so, Volkswagen executives say they were able to fine-tune these engines to be more suited to Amarok buyers, though it’s unclear if these engines will receive a different tune for each model.