New Amarok Makes Its First Appearance and Previews the Most Powerful Version in Its History
Barretos (São Paulo, Brazil), August 21, 2026 – The New Amarok made its first official public appearance at one of the most iconic events in Brazil’s country and agricultural culture: the traditional Festa do Peão de Boiadeiro de Barretos. Held in the countryside of the state of São Paulo, the event is the largest of its kind in the country, bringing together thousands of people every year for rodeo competitions, music, and rural culture. In this setting, and still covered in a special artistic camouflage, the new generation of the pick-up offered a first glimpse of one of the key highlights of its future, in addition to its already confirmed arrival in 2027: the most powerful Amarok in history is on its way.
The presentation of the New Amarok is part of Volkswagen’s pick-up offensive strategy in Brazil and South America, a region that is playing an increasingly important role in the development of the brand’s new generation of pick-ups, with direct involvement in Design, Engineering, testing, and validation.
“South America is no longer just a consumer market; it is now helping to shape the future of Volkswagen pick-ups. After 16 years of Amarok success in the region, we know how strategic this market is to our growth, which is why we are investing to expand our relevance. The New Amarok is being developed based on the needs of South American customers for one of the most demanding environments in the world. The most powerful Amarok in history will combine technology and electrification with our engineering DNA and the robustness required by the region,” says Alexander Seitz, Executive Chairman of Volkswagen South America.
From South America, for South America
Few regions present as many challenges for a pick-up as South America. For this reason, the brand’s pick-up offensive is part of an investment of US$3.7 billion in the South American region through 2028, of which US$580 million is allocated exclusively to operations in Argentina.
This investment represents a significant technological advancement for both the product and the manufacturing process, ensuring the sustainability of the Pacheco plant for the coming years. The investment also includes innovations in the facilities, contributing to the continued development of product quality standards and environmental performance.
It was during the announcement of this investment in April 2025 that Volkswagen revealed the teaser of the New Amarok and confirmed a pick-up developed specifically for the region, with direct involvement from local teams.
This project reinforces a broader movement by Volkswagen in South America, as the region evolves from being solely a consumer market to taking an increasingly active role in the decisions shaping the brand’s next generation of pick-ups.
Like Tukan, the New Amarok is being tested together with customers under real-world conditions across the continent. Countryside and city, paved and unpaved roads, heat, cold, altitude, dust, and a wide variety of terrains are all part of the environments guiding the development of the New Amarok. This diversity of environments and extreme conditions also inspired the artistic camouflage of the New Amarok displayed in Barretos.
Inspired by Our Region
Although the camouflage keeps the New Amarok’s key design elements hidden, its graphics already tell part of the model’s story. Developed by Volkswagen’s regional Design team, the artistic camouflage incorporates references to different landscapes, cultures, and territories across South America.
Mount Fitz Roy in Patagonia, between Argentina and Chile, shares space with Iguazú Falls. The Amazon is represented by giant water lilies, rainforest, animals, and vegetation, while the Nazca Lines reference Peru. Copacabana’s iconic promenade and the moai statues of Easter Island in Chile further expand this mosaic of regional references.
Local fauna and flora, as well as elements associated with rural life and South American culture, are also featured in the design. A hat, boots, cattle, cacti, cordel literature, and topographic lines help connect agriculture, cities, and the diverse terrains found throughout the region.
In addition to concealing the main design elements of the next-generation pick-up, the camouflage visually represents the territory for which the New Amarok is being developed.
And some details go beyond the graphics. Certain elements featured in the camouflage will also appear on the Amarok itself, transformed into Easter eggs by the Design team. Which ones? For now, they remain among the secrets Volkswagen is keeping under wraps.
800,000 Units Later, a New Chapter
The next generation of the Amarok builds on a history that began 16 years ago in South America. Produced continuously at the General Pacheco Industrial Center since 2010, the Amarok has now reached the milestone of 800,000 units manufactured, making it the most-produced model in the history of Volkswagen Argentina.
Of this total, more than 465,000 units have been exported to over 100 markets, establishing the Amarok as one of Volkswagen’s key industrial products in the region.
Since its introduction, the pick-up has built a legacy primarily around strength, performance, robustness, and driving dynamics—attributes that have helped establish the Amarok’s identity among South American customers.
Barretos also holds a special place in this history. In 2024, the Amarok took center stage as the official vehicle of the Festa do Peão de Boiadeiro. The following year, the event hosted the presentation of the special Amarok Barretos 70 Anos series, a limited edition of 200 units developed and marketed exclusively for the Brazilian market.
Now, in 2026, this traditional showcase of Brazilian country and agricultural culture welcomes the first appearance of the next generation of the Amarok.
There is still much hidden beneath the camouflage. But its first appearance has already revealed what matters most: in 2027, the most powerful chapter in the Amarok story begins.
