VW Amarok Canyon review: grunt meets glamour

Volkswagen Amarok Canyon 2.0 BiTDI 4MOTION Permanent 180hp auto

What is it?

VOLKSWAGEN’S sleek and sexy Amarok took the awards for Best Double Cab pick-up and Best Utility pick-up in our inaugural 2014 Business Vans Awards earlier this year. Our test vehicle – an Amarok Canyon – is a special limited-edition model, which went on sale from 1 April; only 350 Canyons will be offered in the UK. The VW Amarok Canyon is based on the Trendline trim version but is laden with lavish hi-tech features. It has more than £8500-worth of extra equipment including satellite navigation with a six-inch colour touchscreen, Bluetooth, ‘unique’ styling bars, 19in Cantera alloys and heated leather seats.

Other goodies include front and rear parking sensors, privacy glass, a protective coating for the load area, a matt black roll cover, interior floor mats and high-gloss black side styling bars and rear bumper. The Amarok Canyon’s styling is carried inside where there’s a combination of Nappa and Vienna leather upholstery in two-tone Moonrock (light grey) and Anthracite (dark grey).  A leather-covered steering wheel and gear knob with sporty orange stitching adds to the Canyon’s exclusive cachet. When ordered in Copper Orange, like the test vehicle, the air vent surrounds are matched to the exterior colour. On the Deep Black and Reflex Silver models you have to make to with Matt Chrome. And if all of that isn’t enough, you can add an optional roof light bar for £945 (ex-VAT). That seems a bit steep to us for four Hella driving lamps mounted on a colour-keyed roofbar, but it does look good! The Canyon is powered by Volkswagen’s top-of-the-range 2.0-litre BiTDI 180hp engine, which produces a muscular 420Nm of torque. You can choose between a 6-speed manual with selectable 4MOTION (but hurry up – there are only 50 of these) or an 8-speed auto with permanent 4MOTION. Our test vehicle was 8-speed auto version and this comes with BlueMotion Technology modifications, which include low rolling-resistance tyres, Start/Stop, and regenerative braking systems for better economy and emissions. On the road, the VW Amarok Canyon feels solid and well-built. There’s power aplenty from the smooth, torquey bi-turbo diesel which will propel the pick-up from 0-62mph in 11.3 seconds, and on to a top speed of 108mph. The automatic box is an absolute joy, producing seamlessly slick changes. And it rides and handles well, too. The steering is precise and the full-time four-wheel-drive system is sure-footed. You’ll forget you’re driving a pick-up that can lug a 1077kg payload and fit a Euro pallet on the loadbed.