There’s currently some buzz about the VW Atlas Tanoak concept, but most truck people already know the Amarok. A new comparison chart pits a 2018 Chevy Colorado Crew Cab LT Long Box Diesel 4×4 against an across-the pond contender, the 2018 VW Amarok Trendline 4Motion AWD. Since the team at RealVolkswagenParts.com is a fan of everything VW, they decided to pit this U.K.
Volkswagen against a popular U.S. Chevy. While the United Kingdom’s more diesel-friendly emission standards assist the Amarok in speed and power, the Colorado has a larger maximum towing capacity and enough torque to get the job done. The Amarok’s specs are impressive, but the price is substantially higher than the Colorado.
“Both of these diesel trucks are multipurpose,” says Bob Cockerham, parts manager at RealVolkswagenParts.com. “They’re both equipped with ABS and have traction control, and both are capable of hauling, light towing, and taking on some off-road terrain. But the Amarok handles all of this with more power and fuel efficiency.”
Free from U.S. emissions regulations, the Amarok surpasses the Colorado in almost every spec , though not all. Here are some highlights from the comparison chart:
- The powertrain of the Amarok includes a 3.0L turbo diesel V6 and an 8-speed automatic transmission with fuel-saving gears and three driving modes for focused performance compared to the Colorado’s 2.L turbo diesel I4 and a 6-speed auto transmission.
- The Amarok gets an impressive 27/37 mpg fuel efficiency while the Colorado rates at 20/28 mpg.
- The Chevy truck delivers an impressive 181 horsepower @3400rpm and 369-lb-ft @ 2000rpm torque. However, the truck on the other side of the pond puts out 201 horsepower @ 3000rpm and 332-lb-ft @ 1250rpm.
- The 0-60 sprint is no contest. Volkswagen’s diesel truck does it in 8.3 seconds, making the Chevy diesel’s 9.6 seconds seem sluggish.
- The Chevy’s towing capacity is 7,600 pounds, but the Volkswagen can tow only up to 6,614 pounds.
- Chevy definitely wins on price. The Colorado is nearly $7000 less than the Amarok.
“We’ve heard the rumors about VW bringing the Amarok to the U.S., and we hope they’re true,” Cockerham says. “I believe Volkswagen is up to the challenge of building a diesel truck that outperforms other diesels while staying within the confines of U.S. regulations. Whether it’s an Amarok or an Atlas Tanoak, I hope we get an opportunity to do that comparison.”
