The maker of the Amarok says it is ready for the threat posed by high-tech, sharply-priced utes from BYD and other Chinese brands.
Volkswagen head office. Source: Hauke-Christian Dittrich/picture alliance via Getty Images.
Volkswagen says it is "on its toes" against the threat posed by a wave of new utes from China and elsewhere, including plug-in hybrids such as the popular BYD Shark 6.
Amarok sales are down 35 per cent so far this year, but Volkswagen believes it is a "very good product which is well known," and that it has no plans to compete on price with Chinese rivals.
"We have a very good product, we have excellent dealers, so I think we are on our toes [for] new competitors that come into Australia," Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles CEO Stefan Mecha told Drive on the sidelines of the Munich motor show.
"By the way, not only for the Amarok, it's across the board, because apparently everybody can come to Australia and sell their products easily.
"But we are very mindful of this, and competition, as we know, we welcome – and we will fight."
The Amarok is one of the most expensive utes in its size class, priced up to $82,990 plus on-road costs for the top-of-the-range PanAmericana V6 diesel – compared to $57,900 for a bigger, more powerful, and better-equipped BYD Shark 6.
Aside from a $3000 cut to the slow-selling petrol version, Mecha hinted there are no plans for drastic changes to RRPs.
"I do believe that the Amarok is a product which is well known, and that has a very big fan community in Australia," said Mecha.
"We have a very solid dealer network, we are well entrenched in more, let's say, remote areas. I think from this end, we will stay very relevant. I don't think that it's a good plan to compete only on price."
There are no plans for a hybrid or electric version of the current-generation Amarok, Mecha said, which is built in a Ford factory in South Africa alongside its Ford Ranger sibling, newly offered with plug-in hybrid power.
Volkswagen has reported 4354 Amarok utes as sold so far this year, down from 6671 over the same period last year, though it remains the brand's top-selling model.
The 4x4 ute category has reported a 3.5 per cent increase in sales so far this year, but when models not on sale this time last year are excluded, the segment is down 8 per cent.
The Amarok is on track for fewer than 5500 sales in Australia this year, down from 8400 in 2024, and a record of 9282 vehicles in 2017.
In contrast, BYD has already clocked up more than 14,000 deliveries, while the Ford Ranger 4x4 outsells it nine to one.
"Never. We always want more. I must say, we always want more!" Mecha said, when asked if Volkswagen is happy with Amarok sales in Australia.
"Joke aside, I think we have a solid volume, but as I said, our ambitions are always exceeding, let's say, the actual numbers, which is good.
"It's a solid number, it’s okay, but as I said, we are also striving for more, and that's what we're working on."
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
