Last month Ford announced it will axe the 2.0-litre four-cylinder bi-turbo diesel engine in its Ranger ute – and expand the availability of 3.0-litre V6 turbo-diesel power across the upcoming MY26.5 range, which will be opened by an upgraded 2.0-litre single-turbo diesel.
Now, CarExpert has learned Volkswagen will soon follow suit with its related Amarok dual-cab.
Volkswagen Australia is yet to publicly announce its plans for the Amarok following the axing of Ford’s ‘Bi-Turbo’ engine globally, which was announced in early November. The second-generation Amarok is the Ranger’s twin under the skin, and is produced by the Blue Oval in South Africa.
However, CarExpert dealer sources have now confirmed preliminary details of the reshuffled Amarok lineup – as communicated to them by Volkswagen Group Australia – which is expected to be announced soon, ahead of its arrival in local showrooms in the second half of next year.
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According to information provided to Volkswagen’s local dealers, Life TDI500 and Style TDI500 variants powered by the bi-turbo diesel engine will be discontinued (VW model variant names reflect torque output).
The entry-level Amarok Core TDI405, which currently opens the lineup at $55,490 before on-road costs, will also be discontinued for retail and small fleet customers, and will only be available “as incremental fleet volume managed by VGA [Volkswagen Group Australia]”.
In its place, Volkswagen will introduce a new entry-level Amarok Style TSI452 variant, powered by a 2.3-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol engine, to replace the slow-selling Aventura TSI452 – currently the Amarok’s sole petrol offering, priced at $79,990 before on-roads, and accounting for less than 10 per cent of sales.
The TDI600 Style V6 variant, for context, accounts for a dominant 40 per cent of Amarok sales.
MY26 Amarok pricing is yet to be communicated, but the new base Style TSI452 will be upgraded with a permanent 4Motion four-wheel drive system comprising a 4A mode for use on sealed surfaces, replacing the outgoing Style TDI500’s switchable 4×4 system and matching all V6 Amaroks.
The new Style TSI452 will also be available with optional 20-inch ‘Bendigo’ alloy wheels “to allow a visual point of difference to the V6 Style”, but the ‘Savona’ leather trim option will no longer be available for any Style-spec Amarok.
The existing TDI600 V6-powered Amarok Style, PanAmericana and Aventura will continue unchanged; the latter is the flagship of the Volkswagen dual-cab range, currently priced at $82,990 plus ORCs.
Ford is discontinuing its 2.0-litre bi-turbo diesel engine globally due not only to the cost of meeting stricter future emissions around the world, but also because of its problematic wet timing belt. The single-turbo diesel engine that replaces it will upgrade to a more conventional cam chain.
Ford Australia’s upgraded MY26.5 Ranger lineup (which is produced in Thailand except for the South African-sourced PHEV variants) is due to arrive here by mid-2026, so we expect the revised MY26 Amarok range to arrive here some time after that, including an encore for the popular original Amarok W-Series developed by Walkinshaw Automotive.
A spokesperson for Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles Australia told CarExpert the MY26 Amarok lineup is yet to be finalised, but stressed that V6 diesel power has been the overwhelming customer preference for both the original Amarok launched in 2020 and the Ranger-based second generation released in mid-2023.
It’s therefore possible the TSI452 petrol engine could be axed along with the TDI405 and TDI500 four-cylinder diesel engines for MY26.
“For 15 years the Amarok has established itself firmly as a ‘V6 brand’ while evolving to be even more than that – its loyal and new customer base love its premium value, elevated feel, significant performance and leading handling,” said the spokesperson.
“These are the virtues that will come into even sharper focus for the Amarok in the second half of 2026, aligning perfectly with the forthcoming and highly anticipated Amarok W-Series flagship that is in development.
“Currently the range is not finalised. We will finalise a range that focuses on what fans love most about Amarok, starting with an ‘entry’ point that has features such as a stitched leather-look dash, significant driver seat support, high quality trim and plenty of technology – combining a premium feel with classically great performance and handling.
“This thread will continue and peak with the Amarok W-Series, making for a very distinct and resolved range for our customers.”
In the meantime, Volkswagen will continue to sell a range of four-cylinder Amaroks well into next year, and is currently offering deals on new and demonstrator MY24 vehicles purchased by private customers from November 1, 2025, and delivered by December 31, 2025.
These include the Amarok Life TDI500 for $60,490 drive-away, Amarok Style TDI600 for $71,990 drive-away, and the Amarok Aventura TSI452 from $80,990 drive-away, while the Life TDI500-based Amarok 10 Deserts Edition continues from $69,990 drive-away.
Stand by for official details on the rationalised MY26 Amarok range.