While Ford is the driving force behind the development of the Volkswagen Amarok, with the duo sharing a production line in South Africa, the Ranger Raptor upgrades will be off-limits to the German manufacturer.
The Ford Ranger and Volkswagen Amarok are all but identical under the skin, with only the exterior design and cabin differentiating the pair. However, that partnership won’t include the flagship Raptor model, with Ford Ranger’s brand manager James Cooper telling Professional Pickup that the relationship doesn’t extend to the high-performance model.
Any deal with Ford doesn’t preclude Volkswagen from developing its own Raptor rival — and there’s talk of an Amarok R in the works — although this would likely involve a third party converting the pickup after production. Volkswagen has done similar in Australia, with Walkinshaw Automotive Group producing the Amarok W580.
The partnership with Walkinshaw saw two high-performance versions of the Volkswagen Amarok produced — a road focussed W580S and a specialist off-road W580X variant. These used the same 258hp 3.0-litre diesel engine fitted to the rest of the Amarok range but with distinct changes to create special-purpose vehicles; the W580 gained slightly increased ground clearance, 20-inch wheels, side exit exhausts and moulded sports bar, while the off-road focussed W580X acquires a high ride height, twin-tube dampers all round, rock sliders, underbody protection and custom bash plates.
“Given the runaway success of the current W580 series and the anticipated take-up of the pending off-road focussed W580X, Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles is open to further collaborations,” Volkswagen Australia’s Paul Pottinger told Drive
, an Australian automotive title. “As initial allocations of W Series Amarok vehicles sold out within minutes of being made available online, an ongoing collaboration would be desirable.”
While Ford’s reluctance to share the Raptor’s modifications means the 3.0-litre petrol V6 engine that powers the Ranger is unlikely to be fitted to the Amarok, the powerful 3.0-litre diesel engine will make its way to the Volkswagen Amarok. However, any changes to create a high-performance model will take time, with the Amarok not expected to arrive on UK shores until early 2023. Any programme to modify the vehicle will take at least 18 months, pushing back any high-performance Amarok until mid-2024.
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