VW’s Iceland-Spec Amarok Even Has A Cappuccino Machine

If you’re going to tackle an Icelandic winter, you’d better do it properly. Volkswagen has done just that with a (sadly) one-off Amarok.

Converted by the specialists at Arctic Trucks, who have also tweaked the Isuzu D-Max and Nissan Navara, the Amarok AT35 bears all the modifications it really needs to master the snow, ice and rock of the far-northern country at this time of year. That starts with a neat 25mm suspension lift at both ends. Beneath vast new fibreglass arches sit larger wheels smothered in 315/70/17 all-terrain tyres. Each has a new, larger mud flap behind it, to stop chunks of ice being thrown out behind.

On the inside there’s the stuff you might expect, like a fire extinguisher, VHF radio, toolbox, huge jack, first aid kit and defibrillator, among other useful goodies, but let’s be honest: we’re all most interested in the coffee machine. Sadly, we don’t have any pictures of the interior but a hot cappuccino sounds like just the tonic to fight the sub-zero temperatures outside the cabin.

The engine is unchanged from the standard pickup’s 221bhp diesel V6. The AT35 can still climb a 45-degree slope, carry 1154kg and use VW’s Hill Descent Assist. As useful as the finished article is in Iceland, where it’s now working as a support truck for winter driving expeditions, even Volkswagen itself says these sort of mods are overkill for the UK.

Nick Axtell, Specialist Sales Manager for Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles, said:

“The Volkswagen Amarok has been a massive hit since its introduction and we’re delighted to see it proving its worth in some of the toughest conditions in the world. For British drivers, the standard Amarok will be able to cope with everything winter has to throw at it.”