Volkswagen Amarok test drive since 2010 pickup

Volkswagen Amarok test drive: it was buried in the ball of the earth

All pickups are somewhat or another similar to each other: large, frame, with good cross -country ability, not particularly remarkable for their comfort and exclusive options. Kolesa.ru was taken to the Volkswagen Amarok test to understand how it differs from others, whether it is possible to ride it in a snowy city, and what snowdrifts will become an insurmountable barrier to him.

So, the first in the recent history of the pickups of a folk car. The initial requirements for such a model are described above. And, in general, you can’t say that Volkswagen surprised something. No, he created an honest pickup. But here it is appropriate to draw parallels, say, with ski races. In them, as you know, the one who starts the last has a certain advantage - he knows the results of everyone. We can say that the Germans looked at their future rivals and tried to get around them. At least a little.

City
Temperature - 15, snow, center of St. Petersburg. Hello Amarok!
The first emotions of a person who crossed the wheel of a pickup from a city passenger car will hardly be positive. It takes time to get used to the dimensions and freight landing at the wheel. It is good that side mirrors help, huge burdocks of which allow you to somehow control safety during maneuvering.

In the cabin, everything seems unusually large. In order to accommodate behind the wheel with comfort, you have to pull levers, lambs, and a steering wheel several times. The range of appropriate adjustments is large, but it is not easy to bring them to the optimal position. And when you bring, it doesn’t matter: when it is necessary, for example, to turn off the radio, or turn on the emergency gear, you have to stand up from the seat and stretch to the central console.

You sit in Amarok very high. So high that you see in front of the eyes of the roof of the crossovers bustling nearby and even some picaps. There is nothing surprising here. Amarok is the highest, and its salon is the largest in the class!

The Amarok diesel engine is sufficient for such a car: 2.0-liter, 163 hp. There is a 123 hp in the AMAROK aMAROK and the motor is weaker, but for some reason I don’t want to save on power. All the same, the programs are desperately short, and tangible acceleration is provided in a very small range, from about 1700 to 2,100 revolutions. And it is only enough to accelerate by about 20 km/h. Say, in 3rd gear from 50 to 70 km/h.

The city has the most optimal program - 3rd. On an icy suburban road, the 4th is enough. Well, the 5th and 6th during the test only had to be turned on a couple of times, just to check: do they work? Checked. Work.

The most pleasant and unexpected feeling of driving on a flat asphalt. In the city to manage even this VW is a pleasure. A light convenient steering wheel with intelligible reactions, comfortable gear shifts, convenient switches in folkvagenovsky. And most importantly, there is no feeling that you are managing something heavy and clumsy.

Although any pit reminds of what you are going to. Hard strokes on the staircase, which are transferred to the body, which are then transferred to the seats ... Well, of course, problems with parking. Partly from the habit, partly because of the dimensions. In the parking lot, the car is more than 5 meters long for attention.

Outside the city
The city was left behind, and Amarok confidently drags us into the forest. It is time to connect all -wheel drive. This is done very simple: by pressing the keys on the central tunnel. Here is the function of blocking the rear diproughs and turning on the Off-Road mode that changes the ABS settings, brakes and connecting the lower gear.

Where there is some kind of road of problems, of course, there are no. According to the passport, this pickup is overcoming a 50-centimeter water barrier. It was not possible to detect water, we can testify that in places where the road is covered with a 25-30 centimeter layer of snow, there are no problems.

Having drove about a kilometer along a poorly detected winter road, we decide to turn around. But where? There is simply nowhere to move out of the road.

We try to enter the mountain. No, even short VW overhangs do not allow you to gain height.

But now, it seems, a relatively acceptable area. In the summer there was definitely a road. But still - an adventure!

We slowly hand over in reverse and obviously miss, Amarok slides into a ditch with the left side. The wheels are desperately slipping. All locks, lowering and off-rods are involved literally a little bit of people come to the rescue: of course, the help of the snow in the pushing of the 2-ton car is not too effective, but I do not want to call the tow truck, having signed in their own powerlessness.

And yet it happened! Rolling the track into a large platform, we got out of the forest

Present and future
We will not rejoice on the actual passage of Amarok. In the end, they could really get stuck not on the most frightening surface. But let's not forget that in the trunk of a pickupa there can be about 1 ton of cargo.

Next year, in Russia, sales of Amarok versions with constant all-wheel drive, a 2.0-liter gasoline engine, 160 hp should begin. and automatic checkpoint. According to the sellers with whom we talked, a permanent complete and the machine will be very in demand.

At the end, the main thing. It is impossible to say that Amarok is fundamentally different from one of the competitors. In the coming weeks, we will definitely compare the pickup from VW C already known in Russia by models then the differences can and will come out to the surface. But hardly.

In the meantime, VW will prefer to competitors, first of all, fans of the brand. And in general, German vehicles. As well as those who want a pickup slightly larger, a little heavier, a little more massive. And who agrees to pay for him a little more.

About prices
The basic version of Amarok (rear-wheel drive, with a turbodiesel of 122 hp in the configuration BASIC, ESP conferenne, electronic Off-ROD mode, a radio package, folding rear row of seats) costs from 930 100 rubles.

The same car with a 163-horsepower engine of 1,002,000.

A full-wheel drive car with a 122-horsepower unit of 1 002 500.

The rear-wheel drive version with a cruise control, air conditioning, fog lights from 1 013 200, all-wheel drive from 1,085,600.

We tested the car in the richest configuration for 1,277,400. Here you have separate climate control, and cast 17 discs instead of regular steel 16, and skin decoration

And what about competitors?
Mitsubishi L200 (read test drive) from 699,000 rubles turbodiesel 2.5 (136 hp), all-wheel drive, 5-speed manual transmission, audio training.

Average equipment for 899,000 rubles with air conditioning, electric windows, front seats heating.

For 1,069,000 complete equipment with ABS and EBD, electric package, climate control, radio.

Nissan Navara minimum price 1,150,000 rubles, 190-horsepower turbodiesel 190 hp, all-wheel drive, 5-speed manual transmission, ABS, EBD, cruise control, electric package, radio, separate climate control.
 
Mazda BT50 The minimum price is 936,000 rubles for a version with a 2.5-liter engine (143 hp), a 5-speed manual transmission, an all-wheel drive, ABS, electric packet, air conditioning, radio.


We liked the Volkswagen Amarok
Asphalt behavior, handling, patency

We did not like the Volkswagen Amarok
The price of competitors, difficulties in managing and placing at low passengers

VW Amarok carrying capacity in comparison with competitors
VW Amarok 1150 kg
Mitsubishi L200 915 kg
Nissan Navara 1065 kg
Mazda BT-50 1175 kg
Nissan NP300 985 kg
Ford Ranger 1140 kg

Road clearance VW Amarok in comparison with competitors
VW Amarok 249 mm
Mitsubishi L200 235 mm
Nissan Navara 239 mm
Mazda BT-50 200 mm
Nissan NP300 230 mm
Ford Ranger 200 mm

VW Amarok height in comparison with competitors
VW Amarok 1834 mm
Mitsubishi L200 1775 mm
Nissan Navara 1774 mm
Mazda BT-50 1755 mm
Nissan NP300 1710 mm
Ford Ranger 1676 mm
 

The car was provided by Sigma Motors, the official Volkswagen dealer.

Author: Philip Berezin
Photo: Roman Ostanin





 

Source: Wheel magazine [December 2010]