Viva, Amarokoroko!

We take a spin through the Western Cape's Cederberg to See if the Ford-built Volkswagen Amarok retains its poshness.

- Cyril Klopper

The original Volkswagen Amarok made its debut 13 years ago, and South Africans had mixed feelings about it. Criticisms were levelled at the "small" 2 l engine, and some even chided the bakkie's comfortable ride with the mindset "Buy a car if you want comfort." 

Over time, these opinions changed, and other manufacturers eventually followed the Amarok's lead in terms of engine size and carlike ride quality.

What do we have here? 

The second-generation Volkswagen Amarok was introduced earlier this year, and this time around, those very same South Africans found a different point to critique: the fact that it's built by Ford.

Indeed, the latest Amarok is manufactured at Ford's Silverton plant in Pretoria and shares the new Ranger's platform, thanks to a collaboration agreement between the two auto manufacturers.

Its bodywork and interior differ from that of the Ranger and were designed under the supervision of Gu-Han Kim, head of Volkswagen's design studio in Melbourne, Australia.