The Amarok has been in Volkswagen’s
lineup since 2010, but the truck has
always stayed away from the U.S. due
to the “chicken tax” tariff on imported
pickups signed by President Lyndon
Johnson in 1963.
A popular truck in South America, the
Amarok competes against the Toyota
Hilux, Ford Ranger, Nissan Navara, and
Mitsubishi L200. The body-on-frame
pickup was conceived under VW’s
Commercial Vehicles division, and espe-
cially as the automaker is considering
building the Tanoak and selling it in theU.S., it’s unlikely we’ll see this Amarok
stateside.
The Amarok Dune 4x4 is powered by
a 2.0-liter turbodiesel four-cylinder mill
that produces 138 hp and a gutsy 251 lb-ft
of torque and comes mated to a six-speed
manual transmission. Although this trim68 MOTORTREND.COM MAY 2020
FEATURE I Cars of Mexico
The Spanish brand Seat (part of the VW
hydra) has recently been making hot
news, particularly with the new subbrand
Cupra, focusing on performance-
oriented models.
We drove Seat’s mainstream version
of the VW Tiguan—the new three-row
Tarraco, which arrived in Mexico in 2019
and whose sharp styling has made it a
popular alternative.
Propelled by the same 1.4-liter turbo-
four engine as in the Volkswagen Golf,
Based on the
same platform as
the Volkswagen
Tiguan, the Seat
Tarraco features
a modern front
end and crisp lines
for a far superior
exterior design.the front-drive Tarraco produces 148 hp
and 184 lb-ft of torque and comes mated
to a six-speed DSG gearbox. Although
we’ve enjoyed this engine in the Golf, it
feels too small for the Tarraco.
With only 148 horsepower under
my command, the seven-seat SUV had
trouble gaining speed, and even when I
used the paddle shifters, it didn’t shine
when trying to pass slower vehicles.
The terrain management system allows
the driver to choose from Eco, Normal,
Sport, and Individual drive modes; Sportmode does help a bit, but it still didn’t
feel sufficient.
Those looking to buy a compact
crossover in Mexico might be satisfied
with its styling, standard equipment, and
pricing. I drove the top-trim Xcellence,
which came sporting premium cloth
seats with suede inserts, an 8.0-inch
touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and
Android Auto, a 360-degree camera
view, and a three-zone climate control
system—something you don’t often see
in Mexican-spec cars.