Most performance utes chase off-road glory. The Amarok W600 does the opposite: Volkswagen and Walkinshaw looked at how ute buyers actually drive — mostly on sealed roads, mostly with one person aboard — and built a dual-cab tuned for the bitumen.
What Walkinshaw changed
The engine is untouched: the familiar 3.0-litre V6 turbo-diesel with 184kW and 600Nm, paired with the ten-speed automatic and selectable high and low-range four-wheel drive. The work went into the chassis.
That means Koni frequency-selective dampers, a 22mm rear anti-roll bar, modified leaf-spring shackles for clearance, and 20-inch forged alloy wheels designed in Australia wrapped in Michelin Pilot Sport 4 SUV tyres. Electrically deployed side steps and a cosmetic package complete it.
How it drives
Reviewers testing it at the Lang Lang proving ground describe a 2.4-tonne ute that feels genuinely composed through off-camber sweepers and over undulating surfaces — flatter, more planted and more confident than any standard dual-cab. The brakes held up to repeated hard stops from 100km/h, and the V6 remains smooth and strong, with the ten-speed keeping it in its sweet spot.
Importantly, none of this costs it usefulness: braked towing stays at 3500kg and payload remains close to a tonne.
The cabin
Largely a high-spec Amarok interior with Walkinshaw badging and embroidery, which is no bad thing — the 12-inch portrait touchscreen and 12.3-inch digital cluster look sharp, and Savona leather, wireless charging, Harman Kardon audio, dual-zone climate and 230V outlets (including one in the tub) are all there.
Points to consider
Pricing sits above the $82,990 Aventura, pushing it towards Ford Ranger Raptor money — but the two have opposite missions, with the Raptor built for trails and the W600 for roads. One genuine irritation: the standard spare is a 17-inch steel wheel, which means reduced speeds if you need it.
Verdict
If you want a dual-cab that drives like a proper car on the road and you rarely go beyond a gravel track, the W600 is the most convincing handling ute on the market. If your weekends involve serious four-wheel driving, your money is better spent elsewhere.