Back in 2019, when Ford and Volkswagen announced they would join forces for a global alliance focused on commercial vehicles, it was clear from the get-go that one of the core objectives focused on the mid-size pickup truck market.

Sure, they took their sweet time before unveiling the fruits of their collaboration, but since November 2021 and the summer of 2022, we know what the second T6-based Ford Ranger and VW Amarok Mk2 look like. They rely on the same updated architecture and will even share one of the assembly venues.

So, if the Ford Ranger is also produced in Thailand and Vietnam, the VW Amarok will share with it the assembly lines of Ford South Africa’s Silverton, Pretoria-based manufacturing facility. The Ranger can be had with 2.0-liter and 3.0-liter diesel engines while gasoline options include the 2.3-liter EcoBoost as well as the 3.0L EcoBoost V6 for the Ranger Raptor flagship.

Meanwhile, the Volkswagen counterpart has to contend with the 2.3-liter TSI and 2.0 plus 3.0-liter TDIs and is also without an SUV counterpart because the Germans decided against ‘cloning’ the Everest. But the worst part is they also do not have access to one of the biggest mid-size pickup truck markets of the world – the United States.

While Ford sells the dedicated Ranger and will also bring the T6.2 generation for North American fans, VW’s plans about joining the pickup truck party are still very much in limbo. And do not even remind us about the proposed Scout electric revival as Volkswagen has not even made up its mind about who should build them, just yet.

Instead, perhaps it would be wiser to try and modify the second-gen Amarok into something compatible with the U.S. market requirements, even if only virtually. And, no worries, here is Dimas Ramadhan, the digital automotive artist behind the Digimods DESIGN channel on YouTube lending a helping hand, as he has already taken up the task of revealing a 2025/2026 Amarok refresh – albeit only in CGI. As always, though, do take all these unofficial virtual ideas with a healthy dose of salt, as nothing is confirmed by Volkswagen.

Interestingly, the pixel master decided to go full throttle on potential aids that would help this Amarok succeed – wherever it may be sold across the alternate universes of fantasy land. As such, this mid-size Volkswagen pickup truck features just about every possible model line and package: Pan Americana, Sport Line, 4Motion, and it’s even a ‘Black Edition.’ By the way, if you want to see other quirky commercial vehicle ideas, do also check out the author’s freshly streamlined 2024 Nissan NV200, the odd-looking Suzuki APV minivan, or the adventurous Peugeot Rifter and Traveller!