Volkswagen Amarok Canyon first drive

An upgraded, meatier and meaner-looking version of Volkswagen's Volkswagen Amarok pick-up truck. Traditionally, the Amarok has been a product we've liked, faring well against competition like the Ford Ranger, Nissan Navara, Toyota Hilux and Mitsubishi L200.

The Canyon special edition is limited to a run of just 350 vehicles in the UK, so it'll be a rare sight. Those who do opt for it will get extras including a six-inch touchscreen infotainment system with satellite navigation, special 19-inch alloy wheels, heated leather seats, front and rear parking sensors and unique styling bars. Altogether, says VW, the package is worth over £8,500.

Those extras go some way – but not all – towards explaining this VW's relatively high price tag. It costs a substantial £37,841, including VAT, if you opt for the eight-speed automatic transmission. There's also a six-speed manual available, which costs from £34,788.

Our test car came with a 2.0-litre BiTDI engine, which puts out 178bhp at 4000rpm and 310lb ft at 1750rpm.

Pleasingly this doesn't feel like a commercial vehicle to drive, and even about town it's no more unwieldy than any other large car – like the Range Rover for example.

Admittedly there's little feedback through the steering, and there's more road, wind and engine noise than you might find in a typical SUV, but nevertheless the Amarok is a perfectly civil machine.

Likewise, the fact that the 2.0-litre diesel peaks at 4000rpm is negated by its substantial torque output, which is accessible even at lower engine speeds. Making progress is never an issue as a result, partly thanks to the swift-shifting eight-speed transmission.

There's some typical big-car body roll through the corners, and the ride could be classed as being firm, but overall the Volkswagen Amarok feels accommodating, powerful and even relatively fun to drive. It would be useful to have paddle shifts fitted though, allowing for quicker manual selection of gears when off-roading or towing.

Inside and the Canyon extras, including heated leather front seats, leather upholstery and sporty contrasting stitching, go some way to making the Amarok feel like a premium product.

There are still some decidedly rough edges - the plastic around the centre console and on top of the dashboard is hard and looks cheap, for example - but it's still comfortable.

Other luxuries, like VW's central infotainment system, work well, although some of the climate control buttons are too small to operate on rougher terrain and on the move. This fault would be further exacerbated if you were wearing gloves.

There's plenty of space, even for passengers in the rear. The Amarok's load bay is massive too, and able to accommodate payloads of up to 1100kg.

The Canyon's large body-coloured roof light bar – a £1134 extra – is capable of illuminating a huge area in the dark, but it's best saved for when there's no other traffic around. It also lends the Canyon an extra degree of visual appeal.

If you need space, off-road and load-lugging capability, but also want something that's comfortable and easy to drive, then the Volkswagen Amarok is a fine choice.