More details of the second generation of Volkswagen's tuned Amarok flagship are due soon, but the cars remain 12 to 18 months from showrooms.
The flagship Australian-tuned version of the latest Volkswagen Amarok ute is not due in showrooms in the second half of next year, it has been confirmed.
But Volkswagen is promising big things for round two of its partnership with Walkinshaw, the engineering firm formerly behind Holden Special Vehicles, after the success of the original model launched in 2021.
The German car giant is coy on whether the ute due next year will again be a limited edition, or become a series-production variant, given it is arriving much earlier in the Amarok's life cycle.
"I think it's a bit too early to say at the moment," Nathan Johnson, director of Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles in Australia, told Drive.
"We're finalising designs and equipment features over the next couple of weeks, so we're in a really good position for that car.
"It'll still be H2 [second half of] next year [in terms of launch timing], but we'll definitely release more information in the coming months. More teasers."
Johnson would not be drawn on whether the first of the second-generation Walkinshaws – if there will be multiple – will be a road-focused, or off-road-oriented derivative.
"I think we have a really good relationship with Walkinshaw. There's a lot of potential on the table. We're assessing a lot of different opportunities with them moving forward," he said.
"That's the beauty of this partnership. We've had success previously. We trust them, they are a great outfit. They're in the middle of upgrading their facilities into something huge, which is great for Australian manufacturing.
"So the opportunity with them is open at the moment."
A teaser image released by Volkswagen Australia in April suggests a road-oriented grade is most likely, with large alloy wheels, Pirelli Scorpion tyres, and a sailplane sports bar reminiscent of the previous W580S.
A new front bumper with low-mounted driving lights, a restyled upper grille with an LED light bar, and wheel-arch flares are also visible.
It is yet to be confirmed if the 2026 Walkinshaw will offer more power than a standard Amarok, given the cost of re-running emissions testing for a relatively low-volume model sold in Australia.
It's despite launching three years into the current Amarok's circa-10-year model life, rather than two years from the end, as with the outgoing model.
Most likely to be fitted is the 184kW/600Nm 3.0-litre turbo-diesel V6 from high-grade Amarok variants, matched with a 10-speed automatic transmission and four-wheel drive.
"It does [the longer lifespan allowing for more comprehensive upgrades], actually. You're right. There are some opportunities there as well," Ryan Walkinshaw, CEO of the Walkinshaw Group, told Australian media in April.
"Also, potentially adding a few different variants that we maybe had the ambitions to be able to do last time, which this time with a longer lifespan of the programme, you can invest more money because you've got a longer period to be able to get a return on investment.
"So at the moment, we'll be launching what you see ... but if it makes sense to the market, it makes sense for Volkswagen, we're always open to delivering other variants and other great products to the customers."
Alex Misoyannis has been writing about cars since 2017, when he started his own website, Redline. He contributed for Drive in 2018, before joining CarAdvice in 2019, becoming a regular contributing journalist within the news team in 2020. Cars have played a central role throughout Alex’s life, from flicking through car magazines at a young age, to growing up around performance vehicles in a car-loving family. Highly Commended - Young Writer of the Year 2024 (Under 30) Rising Star Journalist, 2024 Winner Scoop of The Year - 2024 Winner
