July gave the world its first look at the all-new Amarok – a second generation ute 12 years in the making, and a lot has changed in terms of both design and technology.

We won’t see the new Amarok until next year, but as with so many new model releases, the distributor here is suggesting an early registration of interest to stay up to date with information and pricing as we draw closer to the Amarok’s arrival here in early 2023.

When Amarok – current generation – launched here back in 2011, it set a new precedent, introducing a premium element to what was and always had been a working vehicle.

This has continued with the second generation which was co-designed in Germany and Australia with the vehicles themselves being built in South Africa.

Amarok has become bigger, more powerful, more athletic and more charismatic. Making a statement in itself is the new front section of the pickup, which is launching in the specification variants ‘Amarok’, ‘Life’ and ‘Style’, as well as the top versions ‘PanAmericana’ (off-road styling) and ‘Aventura’ (exclusive styling).

Available in diesel with four cylinders and a powerful V6, there will be a model to suit every need. An educated guess would suggest New Zealand will take the 154kW output bi-turbocharged two-litre in addition to the three-litre V6 and again, with the higher 184kW output.

These engines allow the introduction of a 10-speed automatic over the previous generation’s eight-speed.

At the business end – the back – Amarok’s maximum payload has gone up from a good tonne to now 1.16 tonnes.

In many markets the Amarok is being supplied with all-wheel drive (4MOTION) as standard. Depending on region and engine there will be two different 4MOTION systems here: one with selectable all-wheel drive based on the given situation, and one with permanent all-wheel drive.

Pricing for the new Amarok will be available closer to launch time.