Volkswagen has just unveiled the new generation of the Amarok for the Latin market, during the Barretos Cowboy Festival. The pickup is built from the Chinese Maxus Interstellar X, from the SAIC group, which AutoPapo took a closer look at the 2025 Shanghai Motor Show. With a one-piece body, the pickup does not have a division of cabin and bed modules, like the Fiat Toro, Ram Rampage and Ford Maverick.
However, unlike the intermediate ones, which use a monocoque body, the Amarok has a chassis detached from the bodywork. It is a pioneering construction concept in the Latin market. However, VW claims that the Amarok went through an extensive development process that consumed a good part of the R$ 20 billion of Volkswagen’s investment plan until 2028.
VW did not bring technical information about the Amarok and does not reveal which engines will equip the model. The expectation is that it will receive an electrified version. But we don’t know whether or not it will keep the current V6 turbodiesel engine. In March, VW’s CEO for South America, Alexander Seitz, stated that the pickup would have an electrified version with Porsche performance. Investigations by the specialized press also point out that such a version would have more than 450 hp.
Amarok in pills
Few elements are clear so far, such as the LED signature and the very wide C-pillar that joins the bucket with the cabin (Photo: VW | As
it has done with Tukan, the brand will extend the launch of the Amarok over several months. For now, the truck appears camouflaged, with a coating that refers to landscapes of the South American continent.
What you can see are the LED signatures, on two levels, with a bar that crosses the entire front section. Also noteworthy is the wide C-pillar, which appears to have a structural reinforcement function to support the differences in mass of the bucket and cabin.
16 years in the market
The Amarok is the oldest midsize pickup in line. It arrived in 2010, when Volkswagen made its debut in the midsize pickup segment. Since then, the truck has undergone mechanical changes, such as engine and transmission changes.
Amarok hit the market in 2010, with a project that drew attention for its proximity to the convenience of a passenger car (Photo: VW | Disclosure)
It also suffered from problems such as premature wear of the timing belt of the 2.0 turbodiesel engine and also defects of the high-pressure pump of the V6 3.0 turbodiesel engine.
In 2024, the Amarok underwent a visual intervention to update the style to the rest of the range. Since its launch, the pickup has recorded 800 thousand units manufactured at the Pacheco plant, in the metropolitan region of Buenos Aires.
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