VOLKSWAGEN has not wasted its time. While the world was busy talking about Ford’s Ranger Raptor and the Mercedes-Benz X350d Power, it was busy preparing a new flagship dual-cab pick-up of its own – the Amarok TDI580 Ultimate.

 

In particular, Stuttgart’s first ute was in the firing line after its 190kW/550Nm V6 engine eclipsed the performance benchmark set by the preceding Amarok TDI550 Ultimate. Of course, this did not sit well with Volkswagen, so it quickly responded.

 

With a return to class-leading power and torque, does the Amarok have what it takes to steal back the attention lost to its rivals? More importantly, does the TDI580 Ultimate represent enough of an improvement to justify its premium pricetag? Read on to find out.