VW paints a pretty picture of the second-generation ute, coming in 2023.

FIRST the Ranger, now the Rok … with Ford having now fully unveiled the next-generation of the country’s top-selling ute, Volkswagen is giving a glimpse into its own Blue Oval blooded vehicle.

These two renderings of the second generation Amarok are clearly just teasers, yet are the first official insight into the look of a model that will be out in this market in 2023.

Being born from a partnership of the two brands means the new VW one-tonner will have a lot in common with Ranger; from sharing the same basic architecture and powertrains to sourcing from a Ford plant, in South Africa.

Even so, comment from VW Commercials New Zealand boss Kevin Richards and VW’s commercial design head, Albert Johann Kirzinger, about each rig having its own style seems confirmed by these pictures showing something of the VW’s front end and interior.

Although the Vee-Dub will likely share its basic body shape with the Ford, the rendering shows a completely different front end that includes a clamshell bonnet and a headlight and grille design resembling the German carmaker’s latest SUVs.

The cabin treatment is also treated similarly. Although it appears to share its basic design with the Ranger, including a large vertical screen and digital instrument cluster, many of the trimmings appear to be different. Note the piano-like ventilation controls beneath the screen, in place of the Ford’s conventional rotary dials.

Volkswagen is also promising a more extensive range of equipment, with “significantly more” driver assist systems and “innovations that have not been seen before in this segment”. 

Kirzinger has previously stated that his team has been working hard with the Ford Ranger designers in Melbourne to ensure that the Amarok felt like a true Volkswagen, and not just a rebadged Ford.