Walkinshaw goes Raptor hunting with Volkswagen Amarok W580X

Volkswagen Australia and Walkinshaw Group have unveiled their latest collaboration – the Volkswagen Amarok W580X.

Officially it has the word ‘concept’ attached to it, but the production-ready model will hit showrooms by May 2022, ready to take on the likes of the Ford Ranger Raptor, Nissan Navara PRO-4X Warrior and Toyota HiLux RuggedX.

The original projects between Volkswagen’s commercial vehicles division and Walkinshaw Group (the company behind HSV and Walkinshaw Andretti United) were the ‘GT-style’ W580 and W580S, which were focused on improving on-road performance. But the new W580X is all about getting dirty and having fun doing it.

ROAD TEST: 2021 Volkswagen Amarok W580 review

Walkinshaw Group, in collaboration with Volkswagen Australia, has made a range of modifications to make the Amarok an even more capable off-road ute.

These include a 4mm alloy bash plate, an 8mm rear differential protection plate and a 5mm plate to cover the transmission and transfer case. There’s also an LED light bar integrated into the front bumper, a breather kit for the front and rear diffs and rock sliders.

The shock absorbers are the same brand as used in the W580/W580S (Munroe) but have been given a unique tune for the W580X. Another major change to improve off-road performance is the switch from a 20-inch alloy wheel to an 18-inch rim, now wrapped in Pirelli Scorpion All-Terrain Plus tyres.

The wheels are still a unique Walkinshaw Group design, as is the front grille, lower bumper design and the new graphics pack. These are the work of Julian Quincey, the designer responsible for many of the later HSV models, including the GTSR and GTSR W1.

Volkswagen has kept the optionals list short and simple, offering only a Seikel Snorkel and Luxury Pack as extras.

Pricing for the W580X will begin at $77,390 (plus on-road costs), while the W580S will be priced from $81,490. Volkswagen confirmed that production of the W580 is due to end in the early months of 2022.

The new-generation Amarok is due to launch sometime in late 2022 and hit Australian showrooms by early 2023.