You know that times are tough in the automotive industry when even a juggernaut like Volkswagen must forge alliances to bring a new product to the market. The second-generation Amarok is essentially a reskinned Ford Ranger, a stark departure from its all-VW predecessor. The original model is still around in South America, where it even got a facelift. A successor to the old pickup is in the works, but it won’t be an entirely in-house project.
Rather than collaborating with Ford once again, VW will give its new truck Chinese DNA. Marcellus Puig, CEO of VW Argentina, told our colleagues at Motor1.com Argentina that the workhorse would come to life with help from the SAIC Group. The project will require a $580-million investment to build the pickup in Argentina from 2027. The old Amarok is soldering on until then, at which point the first-gen model will have been 17 years old. It might stick around even after the new truck’s arrival.
Photo by: SAIC
The new Amarok for South America could be mechanically related to the Maxus Interstellar X, which would imply the switch from a ladder-frame chassis to a monocoque body. The dual-cab pickup is sold in China with 2.5-liter diesel and dual-motor electric drivetrains. Whether VW’s V-6 diesel engine would fit underneath the hood is unclear. Instead of a combustion engine, the electric version of the Chinese trunk has a front trunk.
The Amarok isn’t the only truck VW sells in South America, as the small Saveiro has been around since the early 1980s. The chances of seeing either in the United States are slim to none since the pickups would be hit with not just the newly announced tariffs but also the long-standing 25-percent Chicken Tax.
Trucks co-developed by two brands haven’t always worked out. Just ask Mercedes, which phased out the Nissan Navara-based X-Class after only three years on the market. It’s a different situation with the Amarok, considering that VW and SAIC have been collaborating for decades in China. The two parties have certainly figured out the math to make this work. This is especially true since the upcoming truck will use about 50 percent of the factory machinery from the existing Taos production line, even though the two products won’t be related.
The new Amarok won’t be the only truck with Chinese roots from a big name, considering that the Ram 1200 is heavily related to the Changan Kaicene F70.
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Source: Motor1 Argentina
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