Alongside its pure petrol- and diesel-powered bakkie offerings, several automakers have introduced new-energy (NEV) powertrains to their bakkie portfolios. Take Ford, for example. In 2021, the US automaker unveiled the F-150 Lightning, the marque’s first-ever all-electric pick-up. However, for markets outside of the US, perhaps the most significant NEV from the Blue Oval brand is the Ranger PHEV (plug-in hybrid), which was revealed in 2023 and, although produced in South Africa, remains unconfirmed for our market. In addition, there’s been talks that the upcoming new Toyota Hilux lineup could include a battery-electric model in the future.
However, although Volkswagen’s Amarok shares its underpinnings with the Ranger, and is locally produced alongside the Ford in Silverton, the German marque has told us that the Amarok will not adopt a PHEV powertrain.
Speaking to Lars Krause, Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles Board Member of Sales, Marketing and Aftersales, at 2025 IAA Mobility, Krause told CAR Magazine that, while the Wolfsburg company has discussed it quite a lot, it thinks the solution available won’t fulfil the needs it sees for its specific markets.
“We discussed it quite a lot. At the end, we think that the solution that is available is basically not really fulfilling the needs we do see for our specific markets,” said Krause. Another important consideration for the automaker is electric-only range (“above” 45 km in the Ranger PHEV) provided by the solution currently available.
VW Amarok to Remain Diesel & Petrol
Posted October 3, 2025
By: Marius Boonzaier
Volkswagen has told CAR Magazine that the Amarok will not receive a plug-in hybrid powertrain and remain petrol- and diesel-powered.
Alongside its pure petrol- and diesel-powered bakkie offerings, several automakers have introduced new-energy (NEV) powertrains to their bakkie portfolios. Take Ford, for example. In 2021, the US automaker unveiled the F-150 Lightning, the marque’s first-ever all-electric pick-up. However, for markets outside of the US, perhaps the most significant NEV from the Blue Oval brand is the Ranger PHEV (plug-in hybrid), which was revealed in 2023 and, although produced in South Africa, remains unconfirmed for our market. In addition, there’s been talks that the upcoming new Toyota Hilux lineup could include a battery-electric model in the future.
However, although Volkswagen’s Amarok shares its underpinnings with the Ranger, and is locally produced alongside the Ford in Silverton, the German marque has told us that the Amarok will not adopt a PHEV powertrain.
Speaking to Lars Krause, Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles Board Member of Sales, Marketing and Aftersales, at 2025 IAA Mobility, Krause told CAR Magazine that, while the Wolfsburg company has discussed it quite a lot, it thinks the solution available won’t fulfil the needs it sees for its specific markets.
“We discussed it quite a lot. At the end, we think that the solution that is available is basically not really fulfilling the needs we do see for our specific markets,” said Krause. Another important consideration for the automaker is electric-only range (“above” 45 km in the Ranger PHEV) provided by the solution currently available.
Said Krause, “The most important thing for the plug-in hybrid is range, and the range of the version we could share with the Ford is limited, very limited, and this is why we didn’t see the customer value for our specific VW customers and are focusing on diesel and gasoline [petrol].”
As a reminder, the local Amarok lineup is currently available with the choice of three engine options: 125 kW/405 N.m 2.0-litre turbodiesel, 154 kW/500 N.m 2.0-litre twinturbo-diesel, and 184 kW/600 N.m 3.0-litre V6 turbodiesel. However, as we reported in July 2025, a 2.3-litre turbopetrol Amarok with 222 kW and 452 N.m will join the range towards the end of this year.