The article was originally produced on December 6, 2018, some facts and prices may have changed since then.

If you feel that Volkswagen’s already beefy pickup is not enough, there are of course ways to solve it. As a photographer and editor for Cars Collection, I have dived deep into this topic and found the perfect solution that I intend to share with you here.

It all started a number of years ago when I wanted to avoid the benefit value or at least have it reduced on a regular passenger car because I considered working with the car in such a way that it was justified. It was completely impossible and the only answer the tax authority gave was that I either had to drive a van or a light truck to get my requests through.

All said and done, I switched to my first Volkswagen Amarok, then with a four-cylinder diesel engine of 180 horses. In retrospect, I can actually only thank the tax authority, because once you get used to the flatbed in the back and how comfortable these cars are, you never want to change.

The word Amarok means ’wolf’ in Inuktitut, an Eskimo-Aleut dialect

Volkswagen introduced the Amarok model in 2010, and from the beginning the Amarok was manufactured in Argentina and had a manual transmission and a two-liter diesel with 163 horses. These cars have subsequently been shown not to maintain the same quality as current cars built in the factory in Hanover. In 2013, the model came with 180 horses and in 2016 came the much-awaited update that got the V6 engine of three liters and 224 horses. The same engine found in a number of other Volkswagen, Audi and Porsche models.

In addition to updating the engine, the front and especially the interior also received a substantial update. Among other things, electric chairs and Apple CarPlay. The performance was raised considerably with the new V6 engine, which means a sprint of 7.9 seconds to reach 100 km/h. In addition, they managed to reduce consumption, which in CO2 emissions resulted in 208 instead of 199 as before. For my own part, the V6 update means a real boost to a car I’m already hooked on.

Some like to fly under the radar, while others like to be seen and stand out. For my part, the latter has been what I preferred, but with style. Driving a pickup might not be the first thing that comes to mind when it comes to style, but it has a lot of attitude. In order to achieve an even tougher attitude on the Amaroken, however, you need to do a few things.

It took a while before I understood what though. In the beginning, I thought it was enough to put on fatter tires, which was not enough. Thanks to seeing a couple of rims from a brand called Delta 4×4 and searching further, I ended up on their website and then it dawned on me what needed to be done to achieve ”that look” on the Amaroken and they had exactly what was needed. To begin with, it needed to be raised. Delta 4×4 has two kits for this, 50 or 100 mm.

​​​​​​​​​The raising is done with blocks under the body, which means that you do not affect the chassis at all”​​​​​​​​​​

The former is sufficient if you drive like me in the city and want to be able to enter regular parking garages. The Delta 4×4 widens the car by 6 cm on each side, which in turn allows you to have much larger wheels. Together with Delta 4×4 rims, the car starts to get the right look.

At the front of the car, a front arch is mounted, which gives the front an extra raw appearance. A company in Enköping called Keltech Bilinredning AB has become experts in carrying out the modifications on the Amarok. They do most of the work for this type of car but also work on other work vehicles. In Sweden, it gets quite dark during half of the year. Then it can be nice to have a little extra light. The company Vision X has been producing lights for the US Army for a long time.

Now they also manufacture lights for cars and trucks. They work with LED technology and in the form of light ramps. In order to get an extra good light, it is advantageous to put a ramp in the front of the car and one on top of the flatbed arch. Then there will be enough light for it to be daylight in front of the car when you pull on full beam. The Vision X also has LED lights that can be mounted at the back and that are switched on when you put it in reverse. Good when visibility is poor and you need a little extra light when reversing.

In connection with researching accessories and things for the Amaroken, I came into contact with a company called Black Sheep Innovations, which comes from Switzerland. Their main product is an insert for the hatch at the back of the flatbed. What they do is that they take out the contents that are in it from the beginning and then mount in an insert that contains compartments and a lid with hinges for this. What you get is a super flexible storage solution where you can easily access things in an otherwise rather unused part of the car.

Black Sheep Inn also has other products such as a rear window with opening function and lights, roof platform with solar panels and more. Everything with Swiss quality. To have your load protected on the bed, there are many different solutions, for example full-covering covers and more. For my part, I need to have access to the flatbed to be able to work from. So a so-called roll-top is what I prefer. The best on the market comes from the Mountain Top brand. It is made of metal and equipped with a lock and protects things from both wet and itchy-fingered people.

To get that last personalized and also protect the car’s paint, a good solution is to foil the car. You’re only limited by your imagination when it comes to what you can come up with here. Since I use the car in such a way and shoot from it, I don’t want a color that can be reflected in the cars I photograph. Therefore, the choice was a gray tone on the entire car. There are many companies that carry out foiling work, the practical thing about Keltech Bilinredning AB is that they have a company called Wrap My Car connected to them so that all foiling work can be carried out in connection with other modifications.

To make the tires, which come from Cooper Tiers, stand out a little extra, I’ve installed decals made by a company called Tred Wear.

As the finishing touch, I had the tuning company BSR, which has long been a leader in engine optimization, install one of its optimizations. It all resulted in an increase in power from 224 horses to a whopping 317. The torque increased from 550 Newton meters to 695. A substantial increase in power that affects the performance properly. Nowadays, you never have to be ashamed of yourself when overtaking takes place. Something that is both fun but feels safe as you reduce the time you are in the danger zone when overtaking.  

Having driven the Volkswagen Amarok for almost five years and managed to test four Amaroks, I can only say that this is among the best work vehicles in its class. There are many other brands that make similar pickups but they all have their flaws. In fact, the Amaroke almost always gets top marks. So whether you choose to upgrade your Amarok according to the above recipe or drive it as is, you will not be disappointed.

Volkswagen Amarok V6 

Basic price	From SEK 405,500
Engine	3-liter V6 diesel turbo V, 224 hp. Torque 550 Nm
Transmission	Front engine, 8-speed automatic, four-wheel drive
Acceleration	0-100 in 7.9 sec
Top speed	193 km/h
Fuel consumption mixed driving according to the manufacturer	0.76 l/mile
Weight	2,169 kg
Guarantees	New car 3 years, 12 years rust, 3 years paint
Web	www.volkswagen.se