Bigger, with more power and much more utility: VW has dropped the camo off its 2023 Amarok.

The Ranger-based truck has been developed from the ground up and has practically nothing in common with its predecessor.

It dumps its previous Volkswagen engineered basis to adopt Ford’s updated T6 platform but is more than just a rebadged version of the Blue Oval’s midsize truck. The new Amarok will be available from launch in single cab and double cab body styles, with the latter topping 5.3 metres in length on a 3.2m wheelbase. The longer wheelbase trims front and rear overhangs to make the new Amarok more rough-road and off-road capable. Fording depth has been significantly boosted from 500mm to 800mm while all-wheel drive will be standard in many markets. The options list is extensive: in what may be a market segment ‘first’, a four-person roof tent will be available as an official accessory. The list will once again include a hardtop cover for the cargo bed that gives the Amarok the appearance of an SUV. OEM bull bars and snorkels will also be available.

Production of the all-new Amarok starts this month as its Silverton factory in Pretoria, South Africa.

More than 830,000 units of the outgoing model have been sold globally since 2010.