Former HSV Maloo makers create ‘the ultimate driver’s ute’
Coming up to 10 years on after it produced the final V8-powered HSV Maloos, Walkinshaw has sharpened up the Ford Ranger-based Volkswagen Amarok.
Volkswagen Australia has revealed pricing for the latest Walkinshaw-tuned Amarok, a ute which the carmaker claims was designed around becoming the “ultimate driver’s ute”.
After the first-generation, Volkswagen-designed Amarok scored multiple Walkinshaw upgrades from 2020 to 2020 – across the W580, W580S and W580X variants – the two companies have paired up again, this time with the new Ford Ranger-based ute.
Priced from $91,990 plus on-road costs, the Volkswagen Amarok V6 W600 is the most expensive version of the nameplate ever sold in Australia, as well as the dearest vehicle based on the Ranger offered locally, eclipsing the $90,690 price tag of the Ranger Raptor.
Where the Ranger Raptor is designed to go as quick as possible off sealed surfaces, Walkinshaw’s aim for the Amarok V6 W600 was to focus on tarmac performance.
It’s an area the brand knows well, with its VZ-generation HSV Maloo R8 still holding the record as the world’s fastest ute, after its 271km/h benchmark was set way back in 2006.
The Amarok V6 W600 isn’t about straight-line speed, continuing with the same 3.0-litre turbo-diesel V6 engine as the majority of the Amarok and Ranger variants, still making 184kW and 600Nm, paired with a full-time four-wheel drive system and a 10-speed automatic transmission.
That doesn’t mean changes haven’t been made under the skin, where there’s been a big overhaul to the suspension.
Now riding on Koni shocks with Walkinshaw-tuned valves, the Amarok W600 also gets a 22mm rear anti-roll bar to deliver improved steering response and cornering stability, enhanced by its 20-inch alloy wheels being shod in Michelin Pilot Sport 4 SUV tyres.
To set it apart from the rest of the Amarok lineup, the W600 features a unique front bumper, grille, light bar, Walkinshaw badging, powered side steps and even a side-exit exhaust, albeit still from behind the rear wheels.
Volkswagen Amarok V6 W600
Inside there are a handful of changes too, such as Walkinshaw-embroidered head restraints, branded sports pedals, unique floor mats and sill plates, plus puddle lights with the Walkinshaw logo.
Opting for an electric roller cover adds an extra $3450 to the price, while metallic paint is a $1100 premium.
"The Amarok V6 W600 is about much more than appearance. It's a vehicle that has been engineered from the ground up to elevate the driving experience while retaining all the capability, practicality and refinement that customers expect from Amarok," said Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles brand director, Nathan Johnson.
"When you consider the breadth of the package, from the bespoke Walkinshaw-developed suspension and chassis calibration to the premium interior and distinctive exterior enhancements, the W600 offers customers a uniquely engineered performance ute unlike anything else in the segment."
