ABT amps up VW’s Amarok V6 TDI to 225kW

By Motoring Staff 

WITH 190kW and 580Nm on command, the full-fat version of Volkswagen’s Amarok V6 TDI that’s available in Europe (but not yet in South Africa) is already the brawniest bakkie in its class, albe- it tie with Merc’s X350 CDi.
But for those that 

want to take their Amarok to the next level, German tuner ABT Sportsline has developed a performance package that raises its outputs to 225kW and 630Nm. 

That is enough, ABT says, to get the double cab from zero to 100km/h in just 7.8 seconds, which is 0.2s quicker than the stock 3.0 TDI, while the top speed is now listed at 211km/h, up from 207km/h. 

There is no rocket science involved here, just an ABT Engine Control unit, which is the heart of all ABT performance upgrades. As this is a separate control unit, the serial ECU is un- touched and the vehicle remains completely diagnosable, according to ABT.
The company also has options for 

other, lesser powered Amaroks. Those who bought the 165kW 3.0 TDI can opt for a performance pack- age that ups the outputs to 195kW and 590Nm, while the 132kW 2.0 TDI can be wound up to 147kW, 

matching Ford’s 3.2-litre engine.
The 165kW 3.0 TDI is currently the most powerful Amarok available 

in South Africa, but even in that guise it’s no slouch – strapped to our V-Box at Gauteng altitude, we managed an 8.2-second 0-100km/h run, so per- haps ABT is being a little conservative with its numbers. 

ABT Sportsline has sales and fitment partners around the world, including one in South Africa, located in Wynberg, Johannesburg. 

– IOL Motoring