Agreed.Quote:
Originally Posted by gavs
I drove my bosses LC 100 and it felt like I was in control and could go anywhere.
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Agreed.Quote:
Originally Posted by gavs
I drove my bosses LC 100 and it felt like I was in control and could go anywhere.
I second the belief that it'll have a Transporter like clutch. In fact I'd be mildly surprised if it didn't share basic clutch components with the Transporter.
The observation that the prototypes have a light clutch may be in comparison to the other vehicles in its class......which would be a win.
From an off road perspective I'd more interested in the accelerator pedal behaviour - if it isn't well damped then it is a bastard off road. I remember a truly awful experience driving the first V6 Rodeo on a rocky firetrail with my foot bouncing lightly on the go pedal and the vehicle jerking, surging & lurching with every bounce. Truly unpleasant.
I'd also be pleasantly surprised if the Amarok came with a hand throttle. And an optional drop side alloy tray.
Looks like a great ute to me. I'd be happy to have one I reckon. One of the things that has stopped me getting a ute has been poor handling and fuel economy - trust VW to fix that :-D. The carsales reviewers are correct in saying most utes handle like crap, do not inspire confidence and tend to chew through fuel.... unnecessarily in many cases. Big engines in commercial vehicles are a thing of the past 15 years - people forget too easily about the sub 2.5 litre engines in almost all utes back in the 80's and beforehand... in vans too! Its really only been in the 90's and 00's that people have had the luxury of big engines in what are essentially supposed to be economy vehicles - fuel costs = running costs. Times are a changing, thats for sure, and i do think that people need to begin to consider exactly what they feel justification for a big capacity engine is.
To me, even a 2.0L 90kW 350Nm diesel engine is far and away better than a 2.8L non-turbo diesel that made the hilux the class leader it is today, long before it had turbo's and air-con.
My dad had a 1600 rodeo back in the day, with that shoddy oil guzzling petrol guzzling isuzu engine. It was a 2wd one. We still managed to fill it with a whole winters worth of fire wood and drive it out up the logging tracks no worries. I reckon its not just utes that are going soft, its the ute owners too :-)
Hear, hear! Well saidQuote:
Originally Posted by gldgti
Ha!
The 'softness' of current ute owners might have more to do with the fact that 15 years ago many of those people would never have considered themselves prospective ute owners. Then the car companies cottoned on to the highly profitable 'executive' ute with comforts and toys.....good example of if you build it (and market the hell out of it) they will come.
I remember a few old cockys out around Bre bought the new Hilux when it came out with IFS.....and they hated them because they kept getting them stuck on the property. But they kept them because the missus thought they were comfortable going into town. Now they buy Nissan Patrol utes for property work...
Seano, your right ofcourse - far more "utes" around these days, and in the strangest places :-) And the way they are treated like gold.... oh!
Anyway, I think my point before was really that at least you cant order an Amarok with an r36 engine, lowered on 21" wheels, 2wd only and soft leather seats :-)
...yet.
http://www.powertorque.com.au/delive...EL31-Cover.jpg
Delivery - Australia's New Ute and Van Magazine
First drive review in latest Delivery Aug/Sept 2010 magazine.
Looks like Ford doesn't like the Amarok they bought.
Also there's to be a petrol option at launch.
VW defends Amarok | Sydney motor show 2010
More importantly ... to me anyway ... is the confirmation by VW that the petrol 2.0TSI engine will be available in the DualCabs as well from March onwards .... about midway down that article .... The dealers haven't heard this yet, so this is good news ....
I am considering replacing the Tiguan with a petrol TSI Amarok in topspec atm ....
Any idea on the numbers on the TSI option? 118kW at 300Nm?