Volkswagen Amarok W580 races to the caravan park

It's already one of our favourite big rig towing utes, but now cashed-up caravanners can get their hands on an even more special version of Volkswagen's V6 Amarok, that's guaranteed to turn heads at the caravan park.

The new 2021 Volkswagen Amarok W580 developed in partnership with Australia’s Walkinshaw Automotive Group will muscle its way into the ultra-competitive sports ute arena with pricing that makes it one of the most expensive models on the market.

The special-edition “GT-tuned” 4x4 dual-cab is set at $79,990 plus on-road costs for the W580S, or $71,990 for the regular W580, with pre-orders opening online at noon on Wednesday, December 3, ahead of first deliveries in April 2021.

As previously announced when the Amarok W580 broke cover in October, the first 30 buyers to fully commit to the purchase in the online pre-sale will receive an all-expenses-paid ‘Walkinshaw Experience’ that includes a tour at the specialty vehicles and conversion outfit’s Melbourne factory and a ‘Walkinshaw Andretti United’ track experience.

The $79,990 sticker price places the 2021 Volkswagen Amarok W580S as a more expensive proposition than its closest rival, the Ford Ranger Raptor that starts at $77,190 plus ORCs.

The opening price of $71,990 for the Amarok W580 positions it $10,000 upstream of the TDI580 Highline V6 turbo-diesel.

Coming from the same engineering and design specialist that delivered the now-discontinued HSV Colorado SportsCat, the Clayton-based Walkinshaw team has worked with VW Australia and the German brand’s commercial vehicles head office in Europe over the past 12 months to create the Amarok W580.

Headline treatments include a unique suspension tune including MTV twin-tube shock absorbers front and rear, custom twin exhaust system with side pipes at the rear wheels and branded tips (exclusive to 580S), and special 20x9.0-inch dark ‘Clayton’ forged alloy wheels with Pirelli Scorpion 275/50R20 ATR tyres.

This larger-diameter rubber increases the ride height, while the front suspension has been lifted by 40mm at the front axle line “to give the vehicle a more aggressive overall stance”.

There are wheel-arch extensions to match the new wheel and tyre spec, wrapping into the front-end which is dominated by a Walkinshaw-designed grille and lower bumper flanked by bi-Xenon headlights up top and with LED fog lights integrated below.

Apart from the exhaust, the biggest point of interest at the rear-end is the “sail plane styling bar” on the W580S.

W580 standard equipment:
• 20x9.0-inch forged alloy ‘Clayton’ wheels
• Pirelli Scorpion ATR tyres (275/50R20)
• Wheel-arch extensions
• Front suspension lift and tune
• Rear suspension tune (twin-tube shock absorbers, front and rear)
• New front upper grille design
• New lower bumper inserts and fog lamp surround design
• LED front fog lamps
• Walkinshaw-branded head restraints
• W580 tailored carpet mats
• Bonnet protector
• Decals – doors

W580S extra equipment:
• LED fog lamps with cornering function
• Sail plane styling bar
• Front underbody styling element
• Five-piece protective tub liner
• Bonnet decals
• Decals – lower tub
• Vienna leather interior seats with Walkinshaw head restraint branding
• 14-way adjustable Ergo Comfort heated front seats
• Electric folding mirrors
• Discover Media Navigation
• Instrument cluster with centre colour multifunction display
• Tuned twin exhaust with branded tips

There are no changes to the muscular 580Nm 3.0-litre V6 turbo-diesel engine as seen in other 580 models, producing up to 200kW of power on overboost and matched with an eight-speed automatic transmission and 4MOTION 4x4 system with Torsen differential.

The Ford Ranger Raptor, by comparison, uses a 2.0-litre four-cylinder twin-turbo diesel good for 157kW/500Nm.

The W580 models are, like other Volkswagen models, covered by five-year/unlimited-kilometre factory warranty, with capped-price servicing and optional three- and five-year pre-paid service deals also available.

Towing capacity remains at 3500kg, but other final specs are still to be detailed.

Inside, each W580 includes a plaque with build number, denoting this as a limited-edition model. However, a strong response from Aussie buyers could see it continue as a permanent member of the range.

How much does the 2021 Volkswagen Amarok W580 cost?
W580 – $71,990
W580S – $79,990

* Prices exclude on-road costs