Sydney show: Volkswagen Amarok arrives

VOLKSWAGEN tried to upstage the global premieres of the all-new Ford Ranger and Mazda BT-50 utilities this morning at the Australian International Motor Show with the local debut of the Amarok one-tonne truck.

Seen for the first time on Oz soil, the Argentinean-built workhorse arrived in a couple of different flavours, as the German company strives for greater commercial vehicle market penetration in Australia.

The single-cab version shown at the recent IAA Commercial Vehicles Fair in Hannover, Germany, did not materialise in Sydney as expected, with Volkswagen Group Australia showing two production versions of the dual-cab and a support vehicle used in the 2010 Dakar Rally.

Left: Volkswagen Golf BlueMotion, Volkswagen Polo GTI.

Also out for the world to see is VW’s new eco warrior, the Prius-beating Golf BlueMotion, along with a new entry-level Golf – the $21,990 1.2-litre turbo 77TSI – a Tiguan SUV with MY11 DSG dual clutch gearbox upgrades (among other things), and revised Eos with the 155TSI Golf GTI engine.

But there was no sign of the Paris motor show-debuting B8-series Passat due in the middle of next year, nor the facelifted Caddy or the second-generation Touareg luxury SUV that is also on a slow boat to Australia (due in about June 2011).

At the other end of the scale, though, the increasingly popular Polo debuted in GTI flagship guise, providing an enticing proposition for lovers of speedy urban runabouts.

To be launched in November, the 1.4-litre TSI supercharged and turbocharged four-cylinder engine baby hot hatch produces 132kW of power at 6200rpm and 249Nm of torque from 2000rpm.

More importantly for some people, it drives the front wheels via a seven-speed DSG, banishing the previous five-speed manual-only choice in the old Polo GTI, and opening the baby boy-racer to a much wider audience.

In European tune, the newcomer can sprint from 0-100km/h in 6.9 seconds on the way to a top speed of 229km/h. On the efficiency side, the 1184kg lightweight returns a combined fuel consumption average of 6.0L/100km, with CO2 emissions of 139g/km.

VW’s XDS electronic transverse differential lock differential (as seen on the Golf GTI) is standard and, linked to the standard stability control system, is designed to improve traction and handling.

The diesel-powered Golf BlueMotion edges out the latest Toyota Prius in the combined fuel consumption average stakes by the smallest of margins – 3.8L/100km versus 3.9L/100km – thanks to its idle-stop system, low-rolling-resistance tyres, battery regeneration technology, revised gearing, gearchange indicator, lighter alloy wheels and improved aerodynamics.

Also on VW's stand was a special 'Adidas' version of its Golf GTI hot hatch, which as we've reported is now available to order with a six-speed DSG transmission as standard for $45,490.