I drove VW’s Amarok pick-up – it’s poshest truck on market & better than rival but you’ll need a big wallet at pump

WOULD you pay £5k more for a Volkswagen badge over a Ford one?

I would. But let me explain.

In a world of fewer and fewer pick-up truck models, a second generation of VW’s upmarket truck, Amarok, was never a dead cert.

Far from it, in fact.

However, a tie-in with Ford, sharing the Ford Ranger’s platform, gearboxes, engines and even production line has made it happen.

And that’s a good thing in a number of ways.

Good in delivering greater choice for us and good for VW basing their truck on such solid foundations as the Ranger.

But in a classic case of horses for courses, the equivalent entry-level Ford costs five grand less than the VW.

So it’s not so much what’s the same, rather what’s the difference.

On the outside, all the bodywork from your elbow down – if you hang it out of the window like you should – is bespoke VW.

Torquey power

It looks much less aggro than a Ranger. Smarter.

And no tacky graffiti graphics on the side of the big, Euro palette-sized bed.

Inside is nice.

Nicer than it was before, and nicer than the Ford in my book.

Clean, modern lines contrasting with a textured leather dash and touch points make this pick-up the most car-like on the market.

It’s also remarkably well sound-insulated – proving to be actually quite quiet on the move, for a big, diesel-engined truck.

This makes the most of the primo Harman Kardon sound system with subwoofer – that comes with the top two specs, Pan Americana and Aventura – and a 12in touchscreen dominates the dash.

Unlike Ford, VW have opted for fewer physical buttons – possibly not the smartest move given the hard-grafting, grubby fingers and cobblers’ thumbs of who should be the primary users.

We tried the 3-litre V6, the most powerful of the three diesel engines you can choose from.

A torquey, creamy delivery of power is duly on tap which befits a beast of Amarok proportions but is accompanied by efficiency which doesn’t care much for the rising price at the pumps.

Even driving super-sensibly in eco-mode produced an average figure of 23mpg, but that is offset, slightly, by the generous 80-litre fuel tank which means not having to stop to fill up again for at least 500 miles a time.

While the Amarok is the poshest prospect in the pick-up world these days, it’s still not a replacement for a five-seat, five-door, do-it-all family SUV.

But in all honestly, no pick-up is, and likely ever will be.

It’s a work tool – and as such a convenient tax break for those who can claim it’s bought as such.

It just happens to be the smartest, most SUV-like work tool in the builders’ yard which also does everything it actually needs to do, right down to providing a three-pin UK plug in the cabin.

And for that the VW gets my £5k (plus VAT).