VW ute may top sales here

The all-new Amarok has the potential to out-sell the Golf down under as the German brand decides to get serious about ending the global domination of Japanese utes led by the Toyota HiLux.

Volkswagen's first ute has been designed in Europe but was always planned for a worldwide sales push with production set for a low-cost base outside Buenos Aires in Argentina.

"How important is the Amarok? It's very important," says Karl Gehling, spokesman for Volkswagen Group Australia.

"The size of the pickup market in Australia is very big and it's a great opportunity to expand into a new segment."

The Amarok - its name means wolf in the Inuit language used in Canada and Greenland - will reach Australia in the second half of next year as left-hand drive production begins around March 2010 with right- drive utes to follow later.

"We will be one of the first to get it. The roll-out starts with South American, then Russia and Europe, then Africa and Australia," says Gehling.

"There will be a double-cab and a single-cab version. The single cab will be a cab-chassis and it won't have an integrated tray."

The Amarok will have two turbodiesel engines, the lower-powered being a 90kW/340Nm 2.0-litre and the higher a 120kW/400Nm common-rail injected 2.0-litre.

Volkswagen is confident the Amarok will sell well in Australia and has the potential to trump the Golf in showrooms.

"It certainly does. But it's all about potential. It will be a mainstream model for us," Gehling says.

"What makes it very interesting is that it is the first European pickup to compete in that market and it will bring Volkswagen's strengths to the market. Watch out."