The new Volkswagen Amarok is getting a generous increase to its max towing capacity. The beloved VW Amarok will now tow up to 7,716 pounds, up from 6,614 pounds in the previous generation. Surprise, surprise: that’s the same as the max towing capacity of the 2023 Ford Ranger.
That’s to be expected since the new VW Amarok is based on the upcoming Ford Ranger, which I guess makes Volkswagen’s decision to not sell the Amarok in the U.S. OK. The new Amarok will reportedly even get a fully-electric version soon, which gives us a bit of insight into the mysterious EV truck that Ford says will join its F-150 Lightning as the second electric truck in the lineup.
But let’s not get ahead of ourselves. The 2023 Volkswagen Amarok will still be a combustion-powered truck, as the latest teaser from VW shows. The top engine configuration will likely be a V6 turbodiesel, as corroborated by the optional 3.0-liter V6 turbodiesel engine in the new Ford Ranger. Just don’t expect that configuration to be sold on the U.S. market.
Elsewhere, the Amarok will keep wearing V6 badging, along with its name stamped onto the rear tailgate. This tailgate flair is the thing now, but I’m not complaining; it looks rad. And it’ll be a good reminder for owners that they do, in fact, drive a V6 Amarok as they’re hitching up their heavier payload. In honor of the new Amarok’s 1,102-pound tow increase, here are some things within its max (braked) tow rating of 7,716 pounds. Well, approximately.
Two (2) Smart ForTwo Coupés
Smart cars are basically half a car, so I’m going to guess that two of them would fit in the same space as a regular car if one were so inclined to tow two of these things. I can think of at least one gearhead smart enough to do so. The 2017 Smart Fortwo weighs about 2,050 pounds, so assuming a trailer weight of 2,000 pounds that leaves enough payload for a couple of 2017 Smart Fortwos.
Twelve (12) Yamaha SRX600 Motorcycles
The Yamaha SRX600 was sold in the U.S. for one model year (1986), which means there are precious few of them left after three decades. I wouldn’t mind driving around in an Amarok, somehow, and hitching up a dozen of them to bring home and restore. It’s a light bike at around 380 pounds wet. The problem would be fitting all 12 on an 800-pound Uhaul trailer.
Platoon (20+) of Hyundai, Boston Dynamic Spot Robots
If you wanted to defend your home — or keep nosy neighbors away — I can’t think of many things scarier than a bright yellow robot with menacing green lasers. Actually, the only thing scarier than one Spot robot is a platoon of Spot Robots. These things weigh 72 pounds, so fitting between 20 and 50 oughta do on a 1,500-pound flatbed trailer.
Twelve (12) Toyota 2JZ Engines
If, however, you’re not down with letting a platoon of bots run amok, you can take that same 1,500-pound flatbed and throw on a dozen Toyota 2JZ engines. These weigh approximately 507 pounds, which is a lot of engine swaps. Check with Daigo Saito for the best make and models for a swap!
Honda ASIMO and Crew
ASIMO weighs all of 110 pounds, so you could bring the whole ASIMO crew on a flatb- you know what? No. Too soon, man. Too soon.
Two (2) Baby African Elephants
Here’s one last haul to cheer you up after that bleak reminder that ASIMO is gone. African Elephants weigh around 265 pounds at birth, but the calves grow by nearly 3 pounds per day. These big-eared cuties could weigh 1,360 pounds at just one year, so you could place two of them in a 4,200-pound livestock trailer (carefully!) and tow them with the new Amarok. But make sure they’re not away from mom for too long, please.
