Volkswagen Amarok Pricing Starts at Around $35K
One of the reasons for the decline of the midsize and compact truck market in the U.S. is starting prices in the upper teens, which are within only a few thousand dollars of entry-level full-size pickups. But if you thought that's too much for a small truck, think again. Volkswagen has just announced pricing for the new Amarok midsize pickup in Germany, starting at 26,203 euros — or about $35,280.
To be fair, that price includes a 19 percent value-added tax that Germany levies on manufactured products, but even removing that from the equation would start the truck at about $29,650.
What kind of Amarok do you get for $35,280? It's a base model crew cab with a 122-horsepower, 2.0-liter four-cylinder diesel with a six-speed manual transmission and two-wheel drive. All-wheel drive adds about $2,500 to the price tag, but if you want part-time four-wheel drive, you'll need to spend $41,530 (30,844 euros) and upgrade to the 163-hp, twin-turbo 2.0-liter diesel.
For comparison, a 2010 Toyota Tacoma Double Cab 4×2 V-6 starts at$23,675, before tax, title and registration.
Three trim packages are available for the Amarok: base, Trendline and Highline. The base trim has manually operated windows, door locks and mirrors. The middle-of-the-road Trendline adds a painted front bumper and mirror skull caps that match the body color, plus electric door locks and mirrors. It also includes a radio and CD player, air conditioning and fog lamps. The base and Trendline Amaroks roll on 16-inch wheels. The upscale Highline includes chromed mirrors, painted wheel arches, higher-quality interior components and 17-inch aluminum wheels.
If you think the Highline model might suit you needs, get ready to pay a King (Ranch) ransom for the privilege. It starts at $50,050 (37,169 euros) with all-wheel drive and the 163-hp diesel.
At least the diesel powerplants are fuel efficient. The 122-hp 2.0-liter is rated at 7.6 liters per 100 kilometers, or about 31 mpg, and the 163-hp 2.0-liter sips oil at 7.8 L/100 km, or about 30 mpg.
The Amarok is built at a VW plant in Pacheco, Argentina and sold in South America, Europe, Asia, Africa and Australia. There are to sell it in the U.S.
[Source: Volkswagen]
