What diesel engine is the new Volkswagen Amarok getting?

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The next-generation Volkswagen Amarok dual-cab ute has been officially announced with first cars to arrive in the first months of 2023. 

The new Amarok will share its platform, four-wheel drive system and basic proportions with the upcoming T6.2 Ford Ranger. 

But the big question is, what will power the new Volkswagen Amarok?

Powertrain explained for the new Amarok

Volkswagen Australia has confirmed that the new Amarok will be powered by one petrol and up to four diesel engines for the next generation. 

The biggest change will be to the high-end V6 diesel engine that was once supplied by the Volkswagen Group, however that will all change with the introduction of the Ford Ranger’s ‘Lion’ family 3.0-litre turbo-diesel engine. 

This turbo-diesel V6 will produce 184kW of power and 600Nm of torque and will be mated to a four-wheel drive system and a 10-speed automatic transmission. 

Volkswagen has not yet confirmed the specifics of the engine, but Chasing Cars understands that the plant in Rayong, Thailand that will build the T6.2 Ranger and new Amarok has been tooled for just one V6 diesel: the 3.0-litre ‘Lion’, or AJD-V6, engine.

What are the origins of this engine?

The new-for-Ranger and Amarok V6 engine is part of the ‘Lion’ family of engines but is a heavily revised version of the Power Stroke turbo-diesel 3.0-litre engine that has seen service in Ford F-Truck products such as the F-150. 

The engine was a product of Ford’s partnership with PSA Peugeot Citroen with the engine family last used in Australia in the form of the 2.7-litre fitted to the locally-manufactured Territory SUV. 

It has also been used in 3.0-litre form in both Land Rover and Jaguar products sold here in Australia. 

In the new Ford Ranger, the turbo-diesel 3.0-litre V6 engine will sit pretty high in the powertrain lineup and this will likely be the same situation with the new Amarok, however in Ford’s case, the Ranger will also be offered with a 3.0-litre twin-turbo petrol engine for the Ranger Raptor which will be the pinnacle of the range. 

A number of parts used in the 3.0-litre diesel V6 engine are new or substantially updated when compared to a standard ‘Lion’ engine, including the crank – but speaking on background with Chasing Cars, senior Ford engineers would not be drawn on whether the engine is modern enough to receive a Euro 6 emissions rating.

When will the new Amarok be released in Australia??

Volkswagen will show off the brand new Amarok in full in July this year – roughly a month after the local market launch of the T6.2 Ford Ranger. 

First examples of the Amarok will arrive in Australia in November or December this year for dealer and media testing. 

Customer deliveries will begin in the early months of 2023 according to Volkswagen.