Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles has announced it is to introduce a new manual transmission option to its Amarok pick-up range, pairing it to the 204PS engine. VW states that in doing so, entry price to the range has been reduced by over US$850.
Until now, the Amarok has been available with an eight-speed automatic gearbox and permanent 4MOTION four-wheel drive. The new model combines a six-speed manual gearbox and selectable all-wheel drive to also improve the off-road capability of the light commercial vehicle. VW states that thanks to the addition of the manual gearbox, complete with an additional off-road gear reduction function, permits extreme crawling pace; helpful when navigating complicated passages off-road and scaling particularly steep inclines of up to 100% (slope angle of 45°).
The new 3.0-liter V6 engine produces its maximum power of 204PS between 3,000 and 4,500rpm, and maximum torque of 500Nm between 1,250 and 2,750rpm. It has a combined fuel economy of 32.5mpg and CO2 emissions of 229g/km. The switch to a manual transmission also brings minor performance gains, with the zero to 62mph sprint taking 0.7s lessthan its automatic counterpart at 9.1, whilst the manuals top speed is also up 2mph.
Weight-wise, the manual 204 PS Amarok has a GVW of 3,200 kg, braked trailer weight of 3,000 kg, and a payload of 1,050 kg.