Volkswagen Drops New Renderings and Info of Its New Amarok Bakkie and It Looks Fire

• Volkswagen has released a rendering of its Amarok bakkie that's set to launch in South Africa later this year
• The 'near-production' sketches show the Amarok's entire exterior including a glimpse of the rear which until now had not been seen
• The German carmaker confirmed the new model will use a V6 TDI engine, it has increased by 10cm to measure 5,35m long and is also wider than the previous model

We keep on saying it, but South Africa is a bakkie-mad country and this story is bound to do well because it's about new info and sketches of the new Volkswagen Amarok.

The Amarok doesn't have the cult status of the Toyota Hilux or Ford Ranger, however, it will have a South African link as production will take place in Silverton, Pretoria.

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So, what are the headlines? Volkswagen says the second-generation bakkie is now longer, wider and has a higher ground clearance than before. From nose to tail it is 5,35m long and this has helped increase legroom for the rear passengers.

When the new model launches later this year it'll feature several driver-assistance systems that are new in this segment the company says. The Amarok will continue to use V6 TDI power as standard, Volkswagen confirmed.

Albert-Johann Kirzinger, head of design at Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles says:

“We emphasise the different, expressive front designs of our pick-up with a charismatic Amarok signature that is also found with very large letters on the cargo box at the rear and is sported very proudly by the Amarok. The styling bar as a visual extension of the double cab in the cargo box once again gives the Amarok’s body dynamic, aerodynamic and very strong proportions.”

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The Amarok, which means 'Wolf' in Inuit was launched in 2010 and since then over 815 000 units have been sold worldwide. The latest model was developed by teams in Australia and Europe and the local launch will take place later this year.

Burning cargo ship with Bentleys, Porsches and Volkswagens stranded in the Atlantic Ocean

The good news is that 22 crew members working on the 'Felicity Ace' merchant ship that had a fire in the cargo hold on Wednesday afternoon are safely at a hotel in Azores, Portugal, Briefly News reports.

The bad news is that there are close to 4000 cars from Porsche and the Volkswagen Group on board that were headed to Davisville Port in Rhode Island from Emden, Germany.

A North American Porsche spokesman has confirmed that over 1100 of the brand's cars are on board, Car and Driver reports. Porsche contacted customers to inform them that the delivery of their car had been delayed and encouraged owners to get in touch with their local dealership for more information.

Source: Briefly News