In a nutshell:

The Amarok is big news for anyone in the market for a new 4x4 double-cab. What’s more, it is Volkswagen’s first step into a market where the competition is about as fierce as the Currie Cup in a year when the Free State is on song.
So far, most commentators have reacted positively.
Everyone is talking about the clever electronics and VW’s brave decision to fit the vehicle with a 2-litre twin-turbo diesel engine.
Yet, here and there somebody is wondering aloud whether a bakkie with a 2-litre engine can make a dent in a market where bakkies are often relied upon to do very hard work.
For this reason, we decided to test it against competitors like the Toyota Hilux D 4D, Nissan Navara 2.5dCi and Isuzu KB300 D-Teq on a grade 3-4 trail (the Babylonstoren 4x4 trail on the Perdeberg outside Malmesbury). Because sales talk and farm roads are one thing, but rocks and erosion are another.

Inside:

Here the Amarok scores full marks. You feel as if you’re sitting in a top-of-the-range VW Jetta. The instrument selection is comprehensive. The water temperature, for instance, is expressed as a precise digital readout in degrees Celsius.
Some think the hard plastic on the console looks cheap, but we disagree. The dark grey colour makes it very practical − very easy to clean with a damp cloth.
The cupholder sticking out of the instrument panel like a wart is an eyesore, but you can simply unscrew it and pack it away.

The top-of-the-range 4Motion has attractive seats of dark leather, the same as you’d expect in a luxury sedan. When it comes to interiors, it’s only the Navara that is on par with the Amarok. Here and there the Navara comes out tops with things like steering-wheel mounted controls for the sound and speed.

The button that toggles between 2H, 4H and 4L is simple enough, although not necessarily an improvement on Nissan’s dial or the Isuzu’s trio of buttons. As for the Toyota’s separate lever … one doesn’t really know what to think about this anymore. Is it archaic or reassuring?

Actually, the Hilux interior feels a little old all of a sudden. By no means backward, but no longer something you’d want to brag about. To think, a few years ago there were murmurings that it looked “weird”.

And the Isuzu? Well … next to the Amarok and Navara with their five-star cabs and the Hilux, which still delivers guesthouse quality, the Isuzu reminds you of a country boarding school. But everything you need is there – aircon, CD player …
It’s just … you wouldn’t feel that great inviting a girl over. Or picking her up with the bakkie for a movie date.

The leg room at the back is also impressive in the Amarok – almost as good as the Navara, with the Hilux a photo finish behind, and the Isuzu once again coming in last, especially due to that cramped door opening.