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News - Volkswagen - AmarokPayload changes for VW AmarokVW Australia adjusts Amarok payload calculations to open door for more novated leases7 May 2024 VOLKSWAGEN Australia has recalculated the payload figures for its Amarok ute range, in a move that could open the door for more novated lease customers to choose the brand’s dual-cab 4x4 pick-up truck. The company’s product manager for the Amarok ute, Ben Triebels, announced the change at a recent VW media event, outlining that the calculations used to get to the payload capacity are what has changed, thanks to feedback from VW showroom staff having to rule out certain Amarok variants for novated lease deals. In short, Mr Triebels said the brand had been using the tare mass – or unladen mass – which includes 10 litres of fuel, fluids and no occupants. Now, however, the calculation is based on the kerb weight, which includes a full tank of fuel.
“We've changed the way that we calculate the payload,” confirmed Mr Triebels.
“So from Volkswagen obviously having a very heavy background in heavy vehicles, we're always calculating the payload on tare weight. Okay, the ‘B’ pick-up segment, however, calculates the payload of off kerb weight,” he explained.
“So we're going to align ourselves with that to suit the other brands as well.”
The flow-on effects are significant, with the reclassification meaning that all variants of the Amarok range will now be eligible for novated leases, a boon for private drivers who may have wanted a dual-cab ute but were previously unable to choose certain versions of the Amarok.
For those cases, the payload mass of a vehicle must be below 1000kg. If it has a payload figure of 1000kg or more, it falls outside of the tax classification as a ‘car’, and means that a vehicle would be ineligible to be classified as a private use vehicle. "Tare weight (is) essentially the base and weight of the vehicle with the factory options and only 10 litres of fuel. That's the way heavy vehicles do it, and that’s how we've always done it,” said Mr Triebels.
“But moving forward, we're going to calculate the payload of the car with kerb weight – so that's the base weight of the vehicle, with the factory options, and a full tank of fuel.
“So we haven't changed anything mechanically, or engineering on the vehicle. We're basically just aligning ourselves with the rest of the segment, so that we're comparing apples to apples.”
VW Amarok payload figures for MY23 vs MY24:
Volkswagen’s ute has now become its most popular vehicle, displacing the T-Roc small SUV at the top of the brand’s sales charts.
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