The 2025 Volkswagen Amarok TDI500 Style represents a significant evolution in the competitive dual-cab ute market. Building on the success of its predecessor and leveraging Volkswagen’s partnership with Ford, this latest iteration promises to blend German engineering with rugged capability. In this comprehensive review, we’ll delve deep into what makes the Amarok TDI500 Style a compelling option for both work and play.
Exterior Design
The 2025 Amarok TDI500 Style showcases a bold and assertive presence on the road. Volkswagen has managed to retain the Amarok’s distinctive identity while incorporating modern design elements that align with the brand’s current design language.
The front fascia features a prominent grille with horizontal slats, flanked by sleek LED headlights that come standard on the Style trim. The sculpted hood and pronounced wheel arches give the Amarok a muscular stance, emphasizing its capability and strength.
The Style trim level adds several premium touches to the exterior, including:
- 18-inch alloy wheels
- LED fog lights
- Chrome exterior accents
- Power-folding side mirrors with integrated puddle lamps
- Stainless steel sports bar in the tray
The 2025 model sees subtle refinements to the body lines, resulting in improved aerodynamics without sacrificing the rugged appeal that ute buyers expect. The rear features LED taillights and a well-designed tailgate that strikes a balance between functionality and style.
Interior and Comfort
Stepping inside the Amarok TDI500 Style, it’s clear that Volkswagen has put considerable effort into elevating the interior experience. The cabin successfully blends practicality with a touch of luxury, setting it apart from more utilitarian offerings in the segment.
Key interior features include:
- Premium cloth upholstery with the option to upgrade to leather
- 10-way power-adjustable driver’s seat
- Dual-zone climate control
- Leather-wrapped multifunction steering wheel
- Soft-touch materials on key touchpoints
The dashboard layout is intuitive, with a good balance of physical buttons and touchscreen controls. The centerpiece is a 12-inch touchscreen infotainment system, which we’ll discuss in more detail later.
Rear seat passengers are treated to ample legroom and headroom, a notable improvement over the previous generation. The rear bench can comfortably accommodate three adults, with ISOFIX child seat anchors for family-oriented buyers.
Storage options are plentiful, with large door pockets, a spacious center console, and clever compartments throughout the cabin. The Style trim also includes a wireless charging pad, addressing the growing need for convenient device charging on the go.
Performance and Drivetrain
At the heart of the Amarok TDI500 Style is a 2.0-liter bi-turbo diesel engine, producing a robust 154 kW (206 hp) and 500 Nm of torque. This powerplant strikes an impressive balance between performance and efficiency, providing ample grunt for both everyday driving and more demanding tasks.
The engine is paired with a 10-speed automatic transmission, a significant upgrade from the previous generation’s 8-speed unit. This new gearbox offers smoother shifts and better fuel economy, especially at highway speeds.
The Amarok TDI500 Style comes standard with Volkswagen’s 4MOTION all-wheel-drive system, providing excellent traction in various driving conditions. The system can distribute torque between the front and rear axles as needed, enhancing both on-road stability and off-road capability.
Key performance features include:
- Selectable drive modes (including off-road modes)
- Electronic locking rear differential
- Hill descent control
- Trailer sway control
In our testing, the Amarok TDI500 Style demonstrated impressive acceleration, with 0-100 km/h achieved in around 9 seconds. While not the fastest in its class, it’s more than adequate for a vehicle of this type and provides confidence when merging or overtaking.
Ride and Handling
One area where the 2025 Amarok TDI500 Style truly shines is in its on-road manners. Volkswagen has managed to achieve a ride quality that’s notably car-like for a ute, without compromising on load-carrying ability or off-road performance.
The suspension setup, which includes coil springs at the rear, does an admirable job of soaking up road imperfections. Even on rougher surfaces, the cabin remains well-isolated from vibrations and noise.
Steering feel is well-weighted and precise, offering good feedback to the driver. The Amarok handles corners with composure, exhibiting less body roll than one might expect from a vehicle in this class. This makes it equally at home on winding country roads as it is in urban environments.
Off-road, the Amarok TDI500 Style proves its mettle with:
- 235mm ground clearance
- 29-degree approach angle
- 25-degree departure angle
- 600mm wading depth
These figures, combined with the advanced 4MOTION system and off-road driving modes, make the Amarok a capable performer when the pavement ends.
Practicality and Utility
As a dual-cab ute, practicality is paramount, and the 2025 Amarok TDI500 Style doesn’t disappoint. The tray offers a class-competitive load area, measuring 1544mm long and 1224mm wide. The Style trim includes a durable bed liner and a 12V power outlet in the tray as standard.
Payload capacity for the TDI500 Style stands at an impressive 1009kg, while the braked towing capacity is rated at 3500kg. These figures position the Amarok as a strong contender for those who need to haul heavy loads or tow large trailers.
The tailgate features a lift assist mechanism, making it easier to open and close. Tie-down points are strategically placed around the tray, offering flexibility in securing various types of cargo.
Inside the cabin, the 60/40 split-folding rear seats provide additional versatility when extra interior cargo space is needed.
Technology and Infotainment
The 2025 Amarok TDI500 Style comes well-equipped in terms of technology, centering around the aforementioned 12-inch touchscreen infotainment system. This system runs Volkswagen’s latest software, which is intuitive and responsive.
Key technology features include:
- Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto
- Satellite navigation
- Voice control
- Digital radio (DAB+)
- Six-speaker audio system (upgradable to a premium sound system)
The driver is treated to a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, which is highly customizable and can display a wide range of information, including navigation directions and off-road data.
Other tech amenities include:
- Keyless entry and start
- Automatic headlights and wipers
- Dual USB-C ports (front and rear)
- 360-degree camera system
While the infotainment system is generally user-friendly, some functions buried in submenus can be distracting to access while driving. However, the inclusion of physical controls for key functions like climate control is a welcome feature.
Safety and Driver Assistance
Safety is a strong suit for the 2025 Amarok TDI500 Style, building on Volkswagen’s reputation for producing secure vehicles. The model has been awarded a 5-star ANCAP safety rating, thanks to its robust construction and comprehensive suite of safety features.
Standard safety equipment includes:
- 9 airbags, including a center airbag between front occupants
- Autonomous emergency braking with pedestrian detection
- Lane keep assist
- Blind spot monitoring
- Rear cross-traffic alert
- Adaptive cruise control with stop-and-go functionality
- Traffic sign recognition
The Style trim adds several advanced driver assistance features:
- Semi-autonomous parking assist
- Driver attention monitoring
- Evasive steering assist
These systems work well in practice, providing an added layer of safety without being overly intrusive. The lane keep assist, in particular, is well-calibrated for the size and nature of the vehicle.
Fuel Efficiency and Running Costs
Despite its size and capability, the Amarok TDI500 Style manages respectable fuel efficiency. Volkswagen claims a combined fuel consumption figure of 7.2L/100km, which our real-world testing found to be achievable under mixed driving conditions.
The 10-speed automatic transmission plays a significant role in keeping fuel consumption down, especially during highway cruising. However, as expected, heavy loads and off-road driving will see these figures increase.
Maintenance costs are kept in check with Volkswagen’s capped-price servicing program, which covers the first five years or 75,000km. Service intervals are set at 12 months or 15,000km, whichever comes first.
The Amarok is covered by Volkswagen’s 5-year/unlimited kilometer warranty, which is on par with many competitors in the segment.
Pricing and Value Proposition
The 2025 Volkswagen Amarok TDI500 Style is positioned as a premium offering in the dual-cab ute market, with a starting price of $69,740 before on-road costs. While this places it at the higher end of the segment, the level of equipment, refinement, and capability on offer presents a strong value proposition for buyers looking for a more upmarket ute experience.
When compared to similarly specified competitors, the Amarok TDI500 Style holds its own, particularly when considering its superior ride quality and interior refinement. However, buyers who prioritize outright power or off-road focus might find better value elsewhere in the market.
Conclusion
The 2025 Volkswagen Amarok TDI500 Style represents a compelling package in the ever-competitive dual-cab ute segment. It successfully blends workhorse capability with passenger car-like refinement, making it an excellent choice for buyers who use their ute for both work and family duties.
Strengths:
- Excellent ride quality and handling for a ute
- Well-designed and premium-feeling interior
- Strong and efficient powertrain
- Comprehensive safety features
Weaknesses:
- Higher price point than some competitors
- Some may prefer the V6 option for more power
- Infotainment system can be distracting to use while driving
In summary, the Amarok TDI500 Style offers a sophisticated and capable package that will appeal to buyers looking for a more refined ute experience. Its blend of on-road comfort, off-road ability, and modern technology make it a strong contender in the upper echelons of the dual-cab ute market. While it may not be the cheapest option available, for those who value comfort and quality alongside utility, the 2025 Volkswagen Amarok TDI500 Style is certainly worth serious consideration.