Posted by Bob Aldons - Northstar VW

If you want to experience Volkswagen in person, call into Northstar Volkswagen at 322 Anzac Avenue Kippa-Ring on the Redcliffe Peninsula. We're only 15 minutes or so from Brisbane Airport and a leisurely drive down the highway from Noosa, Bundaberg, Maryborough, and a short trip from Nambour, Caloundra, Mooloolaba and Bribie Island. We also get a lot of our customers as FIDO - that's not a dog by the way, that's fly in drive out. With cheap airfares, our customers come in from Cairns, Townsville, Mackay, Mt Isa and even Sydney, Melbourne and as far away as Perth.

We'll happily arrange a drive home registration and you know the best thing about this? The drive home gives you just the best running in you'll ever get. New engines love a long drive to bed everything in and you'll get the best economy you've ever experienced. Alternatively if you're time or distance poor, check us out online at www.northstarvw.com.au or read more reviews at www.mycarreview.com.au . Finally, if you can't come to us, we'll come to your home, workplace or worksite - call Northstar on 1300 NTH STAR or 1300 684 782.

2013 Volkswagen Amarok 05.11.2012

Offers improved performance and fuel economy

Volkswagen has announced plans to offer an Amarok with an upgraded 180 HP (132 kW) BiTDI engine.

Designed to replace the previous 163 HP (120 kW) BiTDI, the upgraded engine enables the truck to accelerate from 0-100 km/h (62 mph) in 11.0 seconds, average 35.3 mpg UK (8.0 L/100km / 29.4 mpg US) and have CO2 emissions of 211 g/km. Additionally, the model has an increased towing capacity of 3,000 kg (6,615 lbs) with the manual transmission or 3,200 kg (7,055 lbs) with the new eight-speed automatic transmission.....read more

Commentary by Bob Aldons - Northstar VW

I come across a lot of customers in my day to day walks around the Northstar dealership and it's really satisfying to have a chat to them and talk about their experiences and travels in their cars.. I also receive plenty of comments from customers via email and Facebook.

Two in particular that come to mind are Dale and Patsy Slight - Possums on the Road and Denis Benson. Now there's a story about Denis - he's been a customer for a good many years. In my Torque Ford days, and that's a while ago, Denis and his mum bought Ford's from us and always had them serviced with Torque.

Mrs Benson passed away a few years ago, but Denis has just recently purchased  new Volkswagen Amarok from Northstar, trading in his old Falcon Ute. Denis sent me this email a few days ago.

Hello Bob,

I just wanted to let you know how really pleased I am with the Amarok.  At this time I am on my way back home to Bribie from the outback  and wanted to let you know how really good the dual cab has been.

First of all it has done  everything I wanted it to do. I'm towing a 18 foot van which weighs around 2 tonnes plus some tools to do a job in Winton. The fuel economy towing was around 12.5 litres a 100kms which was to me very good. We did a day trip to Lark Quarry to where the footprints are of the dinosaurs are and then along the dirt road to Old Cork Station and home along the Diamantina development road to Winton.

With all the bulldust and outback roads it handled it so good and no dust in the cabin at all. I really do enjoy driving it as it handles so well and cruises along at 1800rpm in 6th gear with little or no noise in the cabin.

As you know I waited quite a while till they came to Australia and they are at home in the middle of Brisbane or on a dusty remote road in the outback. So to me it has done all I wanted it to do and the pleasure of driving it makes it really good to own. I will get a photo to you when I can Will call in one day for a quick hell.

Best regards

Dennis Benson.

If you want to experience Volkswagen in person, call into Northstar Volkswagen at 322 Anzac Avenue Kippa-Ring on the Redcliffe Peninsula. We're only 15 minutes or so from Brisbane Airport and a leisurely drive down the highway from Noosa, Bundaberg, Maryborough, and a short trip from Nambour, Caloundra, Mooloolaba and Bribie Island. We also get a lot of our customers as FIDO - that's not a dog by the way, that's fly in drive out. With cheap airfares, our customers come in from Cairns, Townsville, Mackay, Mt Isa and even Sydney, Melbourne and as far away as Perth.

We'll happily arrange a drive home registration and you know the best thing about this? The drive home gives you just the best running in you'll ever get. New engines love a long drive to bed everything in and you'll get the best economy you've ever experienced. Alternatively if you're time or distance poor, check us out online at www.northstarvw.com.au or read more reviews at www.mycarreview.com.au . Finally, if you can't come to us, we'll come to your home, workplace or worksite - call Northstar on 1300 894 655.

Commentary by Bob Aldons - Northstar Volkswagen

"Amarok service centres in remote locations to help VW tap lucrative mining market"

I've had a bit of experience with mining companies over the years. I first tapped into the sector via a fleet management company which necessitated frequent trips to the Capricorn Coal mine at Middlemount. I was amazed then and still am at the torture vehicles are put to in the mining communities, let alone down in the pits.

Toyota has had it so good for so long, but it's not surprising to see the competitors coming out of the woodwork in the last couple of years. There's Mazda, Ford, Isuzu D Max, VW with Amarok and even Mahindra, the Indian based manufacturer now making a space in Australia. The great advantage that Toyota had was that it's vehicles could be serviced by local mechanical shops close to the mines. The thought of having to drive an hour or 2 for a routine service was not on the radar. And that's where Volkswagen has a challenge.

Volkswagen vehicles are amongst the most technically innovative vehicles in the world and need to be connect to the VW diagnostic system to check on up to date programming, recalls, in service updates and the like. With my relationship with Complete Taxi Management, VW have been reluctant to share access to their systems, making an initial investment in the diagnostic computers and access to the VW mainframe very expensive. CTM have invested the necessary, but diagnosis on nearly 100 vehicles requires trained technicians, whilst mechanics working on mine vehicles are a different story.

Mine vehicles need to be working - and they work hard. When they're down for maintenance, they have to be turned around quickly and that's the biggest test for Amarok in the mine space. Who knows. If logic prevails then that might just open the door for other specialists to gain access to the same technology.

If you want to experience VW in the flesh, call into Northstar Volkswagen at 322 Anzac Avenue Kippa-Ring on the Redcliffe Peninsula. We're only 15 minutes or so from Brisbane Airport and a leisurely drive down the highway from Noosa, Bundaberg, Maryborough, and a short trip from Nambour, Caloundra, Mooloolaba and Bribie Island. We also get a lot of our customers as FIDO - that's not a dog by the way, that's fly in drive out. With cheap airfares, our customers come in from Cairns, Townsville, Mackay, Mt Isa and even Sydney, Melbourne and as far away as Perth. 

We'll happily arrange a drive home registration and you know the best thing about this? The drive home gives you just the best running in you'll ever get. New engines love a long drive to bed everything in and you'll get the best economy you've ever experienced. Alternatively if you're time or distance poor, check us out online at www.northstarvw.com.au or read more reviews at www.mycarreview.com.au . Finally, if you can't come to us, we'll come to your home, workplace or worksite - call Northstar on 1300 894 655

VOLKSWAGEN is targeting lucrative mining fleet contracts with its rugged Amarok one-tonne ute range by setting up special service centres in remote areas of Western Australia and Queensland that cannot support a full dealership.

Mining giant BHP Billiton recently announced it has joined the growing number of fleets that will only buy vehicles with a five-star ANCAP safety rating, and VW wants to capitalise on this opportunity for the Amarok by reducing potential objections about servicing costs and convenience.

Speaking at this week’s launch of single-cab and automatic Amarok variants, Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles Australia national aftersales manager Phil West said a number of service centres will be operating in remote areas of WA such as Newman, Karratha and Broome by the end of this year.

VW is also holding a dealer event at Kununurra in northern WA this week to showcase the Amarok’s suitability to harsh environments.

Mr West said that for the past two years VW has been working with rural dealers to make sure they are “ready and positioned well to meet the market”.

“What we need to do is make sure that we have the capability in the network to support us… but clearly some of this market is clearly within an area that wouldn’t normally support a dealership,” he said.....read more

 

Commentary By Bob Aldons - Northstar Volkswagen for new Amarok

An interesting commentary from Karla Pincott - the other genders opinion of a typically male dominated vehicle. Whilst most journalists will take about entry and departure angles, towing capacity, Karla looks more at the design, comfort and the like, and good on her.

As I see it, ute's have generally found their basis on the parents heavier truck range and have been downsized to suit. Isuzu D Max is typical of the combatants - Spirit of Truck - with all but VW having that heritage. Along comes Amarok, based on at the worst a 4WD and at best on a passenger vehicle chassis. The product of that is a smooth ride, great interior noise reduction and a sweet gearbox, now available as the world's first 8 speed automatic on this type of vehicle. 

And then there's the safety factor - VW is renowned for their 5 Star ANCAP safety rating and it's not left behind in Amarok. As with most other of their passenger vehicles, Amarok achieves a 5 star rating based on European tests and will undoubtedly achieve the same when a vehicle is crashed in Australia. If you want to experience VW in the flesh, call into Northstar Volkswagen at 322 Anzac Avenue Kippa-Ring on the Redcliffe Peninsula. We're only 15 minutes or so from Brisbane Airport and a leisurely drive down the highway from Noosa, Bundaberg, Maryborough, and a short trip from Nambour, Caloundra, Mooloolaba and Bribie Island. We also get a lot of our customers as FIDO - that's not a dog by the way, that's fly in drive out. With cheap airfares, our customers come in from Cairns, Townsville, Mackay, Mt Isa and even Sydney, Melbourne and as far away as Perth. 

We'll happily arrange a drive home registration and you know the best thing about this? The drive home gives you just the best running in you'll ever get. New engines love a long drive to bed everything in and you'll get the best economy you've ever experienced. Alternatively if you're time or distance poor, check us out online at www.northstarvw.com.au or read more reviews at www.mycarreview.com.au . Finally, if you can't come to us, we'll come to your home, workplace or worksite - call Northstar on 1300 894 655

This is a solid blend of hardy workhorse and some creature comforts that make working life a bit more bearable.

 The Amarok range has just been bookended with a single-cab version to attract the tradies, and an eight-speed auto – the first in a ute here -- for the weekend warriors (and tradie bosses).So badge snobbery comes to the building site, and cashed-up contractors can get a European vehicle to broadcast how well they’re doing.

PRICE AND MODELS

There’s a dizzying list of 24 different models by the time you choose from the 2.0-litre petrol and diesel engines, bodies and spec: Trendline, Highline and Ultimate.

The single-cab chassis models start from $24,490 for the 118kW/300Nm 2.0-litre turbo petrol (with a six-speed manual driving the rear wheels) and move to $27,490 for the 90kW/340Nm turbodiesel version, while the 4WD 120kW/400Nm turbodiesel will ask from $35,490 (with ute bodies adding an extra $1500 across the range).....read more 

 

Commentary by Bob Aldons - Northstar VW

I've been in the motor industry for a long time - over 35 years - and during this time Toyota Hilux has held the mantle of the top model in the 4WD ute market. There's been contenders and some pretenders over that time, but Hilux still holds the "I am King" title.

In recent years, the tsunami in Japan, floods in Thailand and the relentless pursuit of Toyota by the other manufacturers has put Toyota Hilux under the spotlight. Seems that they won't get away any longer with higher prices and lower safety relying on the badge to retain market share.

Volkswagen Amarok took the battle to Toyota, Nissan, Ford and Mazda last year with the release of the dual cab Amarok and this year the battle intensifies with single cab and more importantly the automatic version. The 8 speed auto model is due for launch in August and will certainly put the cat amongst the proverbial pigeons for the balance of 2012.

If you want to be one of the first to experience auto Amarok, call into Northstar VW at 322 Anzac Avenue Kippa-Ring on the Redcliffe Peninsula. Northstar is only 15 minutes or so from Brisbane Airport and a leisurely drive down the highway from Nambour, Noosa, Kingaroy and the Sunshine Coast. You can also shop online at www.northstarvw.com.au and check out my reviews at www.mycarreview.com.au .

The eight-speed auto quickly endeared itself on the long transport stage

Stuart Martin road tests and reviews the new Volkswagen Amarok auto at its Australian launch with specs, fuel economy and verdict.

Good things come to those who wait - apparently - so the Volkswagen brand is hoping the eight-speed auto Amarok will be a very good thing indeed.

The German brand's answer to the dominant Toyota Hilux has been longing for an automatic and it now has one, at least in the top-spec all-wheel drive models. There's also a single-cab version to get the German brand's steel-capped boot in the door of the workhorse market.

VW Australia managing director Anke Koeckler says she is happy with Amarok sales but a single cab and an automatic will have an impact in getting more on the streets.

"We are going to have access to customers which we didn't have in the past, so our dealers are experiencing new customers, rural Queensland are getting more new customers in particular, then they experience our whole model range," she says.

"With the auto the mix is quite significant, in business, private and tradies, the auto gives us more sales opportunities," Ms Koeckler says. The ZF-sourced eight-speed auto - that in differing incarnations has already done some time in BMW, Land Rover and Audi products - is now hooked up to an upgraded twin-turbo diesel all-wheel drive train.

The Argentinean-built Amarok (it means The Wolf to the Indians in northern Canada) uses the traditional torque-converter-equipped auto teamed with a Torsen centre differential - the company has conceded the tougher duties beneath an LCV meant a DSG wasn't going to cut it, particularly in low-speed manoeuvring.....read more