Thai agent set to import Amorak double-cab to attract fat wallets

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Why isn't VW manufacturing it locally?

As many of you may already know, Volkswagen wants a slice of the action in the Thai pickup market, but faces a main obstacle.

Investing in an assembly facility isn't a big issue for the German car giant, but penetrating the Thai parts-supply chain is, because it's dominated by the Japanese.

So it must cost at least 2 million baht, then?

Amorak gets eight-speed automatic.

The Amorak will definitely cost more than a Ford Ranger or Toyota Vigo. But since pickups face 60% import duty (passenger cars 80%), the Amorak could cost just under 2 million baht. The Thai Volkswagen agent will sell the Amorak as a ''premium'' pickup in top 4x4 specification, hoping to attract fat wallets who want to stand out from the crowd of one-million-baht Ranger Wildtraks, as such.

The Amorak launches at Motor Expo at the end of this month.

What are the specs like?

The Amorak come with the latest 2.0-litre diesel-turbo developing 177hp and 420Nm of torque achieved from just 1,500rpm. The engine sounds small in size but has competitive outputs compared with the major players.

That has also helped for the decent 12.5kpl average economy. Partial thanks go to a new eight-speed automatic transmission. Yes, you read it: eight forward gears.

Cool! I hope Dodge can do the same...

Ha! True, Dodge is known for its trucks with in-yer-face looks, and it would be nice if some of their offerings come to Thailand like the Amorak.

Long-time car fans may remember that Dodge wanted to open a Thai factory in the late 1990s but to no avail. Today, all American brands within the Chrysler family is dead in Thailand. We are not making this up. We once heard from a Mercedes source that there's a potential for a ''global luxury pickup market'', something along the lines of double-cab based on a G- or M-class 4x4.

Anybody for a pickup derv off the Porsche Cayenne SUV?