Key highlights:
- Next-generation Volkswagen Amarok for South America due in 2027
- Reportedly set to use SAIC’s Starbridge platform shared with the LDV Terron 9 and MG U9
- Australian Amarok remains Ford Ranger-based, with the future global model still unconfirmed
Volkswagen could be taking the Amarok in a very different direction for its next generation. The German brand has released a new teaser of its next-generation Amarok for South America, due in 2027, and reports suggest the ute could ditch its current Ford Ranger underpinnings in favour of a platform developed by Chinese automotive giant SAIC Motor.
That would be a major change for the Amarok, which has been closely tied to Ford since the current-generation model arrived in 2022. According to reports, the new South American Amarok is understood to use SAIC’s Starbridge Architecture – the same platform used by the LDV Terron 9 and MG U9, both of which are already sold in Australia.
Volkswagen has not confirmed the platform, so there is still plenty of water to go under the bridge before it can be considered a done deal.
Read more: New Volkswagen compact SUV under works, to be based on Skoda Kylaq
Could Volkswagen Amarok share its platform with the LDV Terron 9?
The reported connection is particularly interesting for Australia because the SAIC platform already underpins two Chinese utes sold here. The LDV Terron 9 and MG U9 are closely related models, with both using a 2.5-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel engine in their Australian-market versions.
In China, the same basic ute architecture is used by SAIC’s Maxus brand, including the Interstellar X. The platform is also considerably newer than the architecture underneath many established dual-cab utes. It first appeared in 2024 and has been engineered to accommodate more than just conventional diesel power.
SAIC has already shown a plug-in hybrid version of the Terron 9 in China, while electric versions of the architecture are also available overseas. That could line up neatly with Volkswagen’s plans for the next Amarok. Volkswagen has previously confirmed that a third-generation global Amarok is in development and will feature some form of electrification.
What about the Volkswagen Amarok in Australia?
This is where things get particularly interesting for Australian ute buyers. The Volkswagen Amarok sold in Australia is the second-generation model developed with Ford. It shares its basic architecture with the Ranger and is built at Ford’s Silverton plant in South Africa. The Amarok sold in South America is different. Rather than using the current Ranger-based model, Volkswagen has continued to produce a heavily updated version of the original Amarok, which dates back to 2010.
The new South American model is therefore not simply a replacement for the Amarok sold in Australia today. However, Volkswagen is currently looking to simplify its global vehicle portfolio and reduce the number of models and derivatives it produces.
That raises an interesting possibility: could Volkswagen eventually move to one global Amarok instead of maintaining separate regional versions? If that happens, the SAIC-based South American Amarok could become much more relevant to Australia. There is no confirmation of that at this stage, but Volkswagen’s direction of travel makes the possibility worth watching.
Volkswagen and Ford could go their separate ways
The potential switch also comes at an interesting point in Volkswagen and Ford’s commercial-vehicle partnership. The two companies currently collaborate on several models, including the Volkswagen Amarok and the Volkswagen Transporter, which shares its underpinnings with the Ford Transit Custom.
Volkswagen has not announced a next-generation global Amarok developed with Ford. Reports from Germany have also suggested Volkswagen is questioning the value of parts of the partnership, particularly as some of its European production facilities remain under-utilised.
That does not mean the current Amarok and Ranger relationship is about to disappear. The existing models will continue through their planned product cycles. But if Volkswagen is looking for a new global ute architecture, it has options beyond Ford.
The next Amarok could be very different
An SAIC-based Volkswagen Amarok would represent a significant departure from the current formula. Instead of being a close relative of the Ford Ranger, the next Amarok could potentially share its basic architecture with the LDV Terron 9 and MG U9, while gaining access to diesel, plug-in hybrid and electric powertrains.
That does not necessarily mean Australia will get an SAIC-based Amarok. For now, the only confirmed information is that Volkswagen is developing a new Amarok and that a new South American version is due in 2027. The reported Starbridge platform remains unconfirmed.
For Australian buyers, the current Ford Ranger-based Volkswagen Amarok therefore remains the ute to watch. But if Volkswagen eventually decides to turn the next Amarok into a single global model, the ute parked in Australian showrooms could look very different from the one wearing a VW badge today.
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