Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles has broadened the appeal of its Amarok pick-up truck by introducing a manual gearbox option to the range in combination with the 204PS engine.

This reduces the entry price of the range by over £650 to £25,600 (basic RRP excl VAT and OTR), and so adds to the appeal of the popular pick-up to a wider audience.

Until now, the Amarok has been available with an eight-speed automatic gearbox and permanent 4MOTION four-wheel drive. The new model, which is 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 routes off-road and scaling particularly steep inclines of up to 100 per cent (slope angle of 45 degrees).

The new 3.0-litre V6 engine delivers a combined fuel economy of 32.5mpg and carbon emissions of 229g/km. The 0-62mph sprint takes just 8.4 seconds – faster than its automatic counterpart at 9.1 – and it has a top speed of 119mph (117mph for the auto).

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-car infotainment systems and on-board technology.

In addition to the new manual 204PS version, a 163PS 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.

For more information on Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles’ range of products and services, visit www.volkswagen-vans.co.uk