Needless to say, at the top end of the double cab bakkie business, size, or should we say kilowatts, do matter.

In comparison, Mercedes-Benz's 350d X-class had a 3-litre, V6 boasting 190 kW and 500 Nm. Recently Ford upped the ante, not with its well known, 3.2-litre, five-cylinder variant with its modest 147 kW and 470 Nm but adding a sporty version of its new 2-litre, four pot diesel engine. This mean machine produces a very impressive 157 kW and V6-esque torque of 500 Nm.

But back to the newest athlete in the Amarok range. Matching Merc on kilowatts but with more torque for the Volksie-bakkie, the Amarok 4MOTION uses VW’s standard eight speed automatic gearbox.

Volkswagen claims a zero tot 100 km/h time in a traffic light to traffic light beating of just 7.6 seconds enough to frighten hot hatches. And don’t forget a claimed fuel consumption figure of 9.5 l/100 km’s, also impressive for a big heavy, 4x4 vehicle with ‘n V6 engine, even if it is a diesel mill.

The latest flagship Amarok-bakkie will be available in the following model lines - Highline and the top-of-the-range Extreme.

The Highline hosts standard features such as the leather seats, winter package (seat heating), increased GVM from 2.8 t to 3.0 t (including heavy duty leaf springs), Bi-Xenon headlights, front and rear Park Distance Control (PDC) with rear-view camera, Climatronic air-conditioning and new 18-inch alloy wheels. Optional features on the Highline are the Discover Pro Media system which includes satellite navigation, rubber floor covering and 19-inch alloy wheels.

In addition to the standard features on the Highline, which are also available on the Extreme, the top-of-the-range model is further customised with the addition of ‘Special Edition’ Nappa leather seats, Discover Pro Media system and 20-inch alloy wheels. The optional features on the Extreme are the Increased GVM from 2.8 t to 3.0 t (including heavy duty leaf springs), rubber floor covering, 19-inch alloy wheels and a sports bar painted in body colour.

In terms of price the two versions cost R908 300 for the Highline version and R974 600 for the range-topping Extreme.