The role of the Chinese partner and the differences with Ford and the Stellantis Group

Volkswagen Argentina today confirmed an investment of 580 million dollars To manufacture in its general Pacheco plant the new generation of the Pickup Amarok, from 2027. Its development was commissioned to the Chinese group Saic, one of the largest in the Asian country and partner of the German company decades ago.

This is the largest investment that occurs in the national automotive industry in the last five years, more precisely since November 2020, when Ford had announced 580 million dollars (then 80 million more were added) to make the new ranger. A story that crosses Volkswagen’s actuality.

This announcement is also just with the 15th anniversary of the Amarok truck and with the 45 years of the beginning of Volkswagen activity on Argentine soil.

This investment ensures the continuity of the Buenos Aires Production Center, after an era with some uncertainty, since the renewal that the pickup had last year has a relatively close expiration date, and the transfer of the production of the SUV taos is an open secret that only lacks official confirmation.

The new Volkswagen project ratifies Argentina as a Strong pickup manufacturing poledespite Nissan’s recent decision to stop producing the Frontier and the Renault Alaskan, in Córdoba. VW will continue with Toyota, Ford and Stellantis group as truck producers with a ton capacity in the country.

Volkswagen Argentina did not detail almost any aspect of this new project. But to be able to understand what the next national model will be like Several aspects of the past must be taken into account which are the ones that will determine the future of the next pickup.

When Volkswagen began to manufacture Amarok in 2010, Argentina was going to be, initially, the only production center that was going to manufacture it in the world. However, it had a global product, with markets such as European as destination. The production was also shared with Hannover, Germany.

For the second generation, The German company gave Ford the development and production of the new modelas one of the many agreements that both companies have worldwide.

The Argentine Factory of the Oval brand was the great candidate to produce both models in the country, but the regional managers of the German company opposed and the complete project moved to South Africa. That did not change the local production of the new generation of Ranger, which materialized in 2023.

That is why Volkswagen Argentina decided to extend the life of the local Amarok with a redesign to a vehicle that remains very valued and continues to sell very well but that has a clear disadvantage in some technological aspects with part of the competition.

That is why it is good to clarify that the Amarok that Volkswagen is going to manufacture in Argentina from 2027, will have nothing to do with the model that are currently sold in markets such as European, South African, Mexican or Australian. It is a product that has its own route and that is being developed.

In the new project The Saic giant will have a fundamental rolethe Chinese partner that the German company has 40 years ago, almost the same amount of time of existence of the local subsidiary, and that at the end of last year they agreed to extend that collaboration until at least 2040.

As he could know Clarionthe technological development of the new pickup will be in charge of the Chinese manufacturer as part of those cooperation agreements that it has with the German brand.

But unlike what the Stellantis Group currently proposes, for example, which based on a Pickup of China Changan to build their Fiat Titano, RAM 1200 and Peugeot Landtrek models, The future Amarok will have its own developmentwhich will be Saic’s responsibility.

That is, it will not be produced on the basis of a current Maxus model, one of the SAIC brands specializing in the manufacture and marketing of pickups.

What will remain in the hands of the German company will be the design of the new truck, which You must leave the design center that the brand has in Brazil. In fact, José Carlos Pavone, who leads that team, was one of the guests to the investment announcement at the Pacheco plant.

What some years ago could have been considered a point of weakness, that development is in Chinese hands, today they assume that the next Amarok will have a high technological level. Currently, the Chinese industry is the one that marks the pulse in innovation.

As well as electrification: China is the main country in the world in development and sale of hybrid and electric models. In fact, the company Maxus has just announced the arrival of its trucks to Argentina and one of them is 100% electric.

In fact, Alexander Seitz, head of Volkswagen South America, advanced during the official announcement that the new model will have “with the latest in infotainmentin connectivity and will have all the propulsion systems that are imagined. “

SAIC markets in China through the IM, Roewe, Rising, MG, Maxus, Wuling and Baojun brands, in addition to the manufacture of Volkswagen and Audi models. In 2024 the group reached a record by delivering a total of 4,639,000 vehicles.