VW Amarok priced at $35k in Europe

So Volkswagen finally announces pricing for its Amarok 4 door pick up. Bottom line: €26,203, or $35,260 U.S. And it was widely speculated whether VW was going to bring this truck to the U.S. or not. Guess the answer to that is a resounding not. That is a lot of money for a newcomer to the highly competitive pick up market to ask for.

A stripped down, getting just the standard gear Amarok is just a grand short of what a Ford F-150 XL Super Cab goes for. And bear in mind that the Amarok comes with a 122 horsepower engine. The Ford F-150 XL Super Cab most certainly does not, and any way you care to measure it, the Ford beats the Amarok in everything but gas mileage. Ouch.

If you decide to start adding options to your VW pick up, and go with the Highline trim, you're up to 163 hp plant and now you've got four-wheel-drive. Which is about what I'd want (minimum) in a pick up truck. But now your also up to a price tag of €37,169 ($50,022 U.S.) before taxes and fees.

No wonder VW won't be bringing this guy to America. That's just too much money for not enough truck. I recall that being one of the reasons Volkswagen never went ahead with that totally sweet Bus re-do they showed about a decade ago – you know, the one that was a minivan version of the New Beetle. People were slavering for that thing, and they announced that IF they were going to build it, prices would start at around $50K or so, and interest went down like an anchor.

Same thing would have applied to the Amarok 4 door pick up. Just think of the response form your average truck buying in, say, Tennessee if they would have advertised a two wheel drive truck, stripped down and starting at over $35K. It would have been a disaster. Too bad though. Looks like a nice truck.

Source: AutoBlog