Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles has broadened the appeal of its Amarok pick-up, introducing a manual gearbox option to the range in combination with the 201 bhp engine. This reduces the entry price of the range by over £650 to £25,600 (basic RRP exc VAT and OTR).

Until now, the Amarok has been available with an eight-speed automatic gearbox and permanent 4MOTION four-wheel drive. The new model, available in Trendline trim, combines a six-speed manual gearbox and at the touch of a button, selectable all-wheel drive, with a drive system that features standard rear-wheel drive and, when required, engages the front axle. Thanks to the manual gearbox, an additional off-road gear reduction function permits extreme crawling pace, helpful when navigating complicated passages off-road and scaling particularly steep inclines of up to 100 per cent (slope angle of 45°).

The new 3.0-litre V6 engine produces its maximum power of 201bhp between 3,000 and 4,500 rpm, and maximum torque of 369 ft lbs between 1,250 and 2,750 rpm. It has a combined fuel economy of 32.5 mpg and CO2 emissions of 229 g/km. The zero to 62 mph sprint takes just 8.4 seconds – faster than its automatic counterpart at 9.1 – and it has a top speed of 119 mph (vs 117 for the auto).

Weight-wise, the manual 204 PS Amarok has a GVW of 3,200 kg, braked trailer weight of 3,000 kg, and a payload of 1,050 kg.

The latest version of the Amarok went on sale in the UK in December 2016. It now has a refreshed external look, a new 3.0-litre V6 TDI engine, an all-new interior and the latest in in-car infotainment systems and technology. In addition to the new manual 204 PS version, a 161 bhp manual Amarok is due to join the range early next year.

The new manual version is available to order from Volkswagen Van Centres now, with first customer deliveries expected in February 2018.