The new Volkswagen Amarok shares its platform and most engines – different petrol options excluded – with the new Ford Ranger. This has been well detailed already.
But the two utes’ similarities don’t mean they can’t look different inside and out – as we see to a lesser degree with the related Isuzu D-Max and its Mazda BT-50 spinoff.
Common elements include the windscreen, side and rear windows, roof, door handles, and mirror housings. But there’s plenty of differentiation too.
MORE: 2023 Volkswagen Amarok revealed, everything you need to know
As you can see from these side-by-sides of two high-level grades, the bonnet and grille designs are different, as are the headlights, daytime running lights, and bumpers.
There also looks to be different wheel arch shapes (the Volkswagen’s being squarer) and sculpting above them, though the shaping of the door skins is hard to tell apart – the Ford’s looks a little wider, perhaps.
The sculpting along the side of each tub is more differentiated, and there are different designs of sailplanes and sports bars based on which grade you opt for.
The tail-light shapes are different, with the VW’s C-shaped units being the slimmer, and while the tailgates share handles they have different metal stamping and (obviously) branding.
On the inside it looks like the gear shifters, headlight control banks and indicator stalks are shared, as is the portrait touchscreen hardware.
But the screens will have brand-specific skins and software, and the cabins look to have different steering wheels, lower switchgear (rockers in the VW, buttons in the Ford), cupholder locations, vents, upper dash moulds, and dash plastic patterns.
Just for a quick reminder: the Ranger and Amarok will each offer Ford-made single-turbo and bi-turbo 2.0-litre diesel engines, and a 3.0-litre V6 diesel also sourced from Ford.
The Ranger Raptor will offer a unique twin-turbo 3.0-litre V6 petrol, while Volkswagen Australia has indicated it will offer one Ford engine that won’t come in the Ranger here – a 2.3-litre EcoBoost petrol four.
MORE: 2023 Volkswagen Amarok: Australia keen on 2.3-litre turbo-petrol
