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Matthew Hansen/Stuff
Volkswagen launched its all-new Amarok ute earlier this year. The model’s newfound Ford DNA could see it adopt the blue oval’s plug-in hybrid engine in the future.
This article originally appeared on Motoringnz.com
With Ford this week unveiling a plug-in hybrid version of its popular Ranger ute, it raises the question of whether the Ranger’s under-skin twin – the Volkswagen Amarok – may follow suit. If it does, Volkswagen’s local commercial vehicle boss has already signalled his interest.
No firm answers came from that, but no-one seems to be saying it isn’t a potential, either. “What we don’t have is any concrete information from the factory about ‘if, how and when’,” said Richards.
“We’d heard a PHEV drivetrain was the most likely alternative that we could be looking at as part of the partnership. I’m personally a big PHEV fan, particularly for commercial vehicles. I think it gives the best of both worlds.”
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The Ford Ranger PHEV makes use of a hybrid version of the brand’s 2.3-litre petrol engine, an engine ironically currently only sold in New Zealand in the Amarok.
At the global Amarok launch, Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles global product manager Peter Sulc went on record saying that while Germany would ultimately like a fully electric Amarok, it was also working on more immediate electrification plans with Ford. In short; a PHEV.
One impetus is the incoming, highly string Euro 7 emissions standard. Diesel engines will struggle to meet that. A PHEV might not.
“If you look to the engines we currently have, and then see the draft of Euro 7 (emission standards), you see the requirements for diesel are much higher than requirement for petrol,” Sulc Australian outlet CarExpert.
“So technically, technically, it’s easy to bring PHEV for petrol engines.”
Matthew Hansen/Stuff
The 600Nm Amarok V6 is currently the best-selling Amarok engine. The Ranger PHEV is set to pack even more torque.
Ford Australia is yet to clarify where the Ranger PHEV will be built. If it doesn’t come out of Thailand, alongside all other New Zealand-bound Ranger types, the next most logical sourcing point is the Silverton plant in South Africa, which in addition to provisioning locally sourced Amarok is also making Ranger for Europe.
There’s logic to producing PHEV versions of both from a common line. And Volkswagen, like Ford, is now deeply immersed in electrification of its product lines.
Amarok already represents the Ford made turbocharged 2.3-litre turbocharged petrol four cylinder that is the basis of the PHEV programme – albeit as a ‘taster’ product, with just 20 examples ordered.
DAMIEN O’CARROLL/FOOTAGE SUPPLIED
The teasing is over – this is Volkswagen’s ID.4 electric SUV.
Richards says there has been customer interest in that engine in its 222kW/452Nm form.
Ford has not said how much more grunt the same engine will produce in PHEV form, but has stated it will have the most torque of any Ranger engine, a status presently held by the 600Nm V6 turbodiesel that is presently the primary choice for Amarok fans.
An Amarok PHEV would be good for the New Zealand audience, Richards says.
He’s sure it would offer plenty of opportunity even if Ford got first dibs in the marketplace. “I would imagine that might also happen again,” he said. “But we would be working as hard as we can with the factory to get it into the country […] providing it is part of our partnership agreement.”
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