Discover the Different Types of Bull Bar Options for Your VW Amarok
Volkswagen is considered the people’s car, and it is literally what the brand’s name means and what the brand represents. With iconic vehicles such as the Beetle and Golf, Volkswagen has slowly become the number one auto manufacturer in the world. The VW group is always making new models and making them more affordable too. This is the case with a model that hasn’t always been part of VW’s lineup, but it has emerged as a popular off-roading vehicle in recent years. This vehicle is the VW Amarok, which is a robust and reliable vehicle that comes with a permanent four-wheel-drive system.
The Amarok is fun to drive, especially on bumpy roads as it has a powerful bi-turbo 2.0L engine. For a 4×4 vehicle, the Amarok also has quite a comfortable riding experience thanks to its heavy-duty leaf springs. Like any other 4×4 vehicle, you’ll definitely want to go off-roading with an Amarok and that is perfectly reasonable. But before you do, you should equip it with 4×4 accessories that will make that experience more comfortable. One of these accessories is a bullbar, which can make your VW Amarok safer from the dangers of the outback.
Benefits of Having a Bullbar on your VW Amarok
Protection
As I just mentioned, a bullbar on your Amarok will make it a lot safer and better protected. It’s the ideal solution for frontal protection as it keeps every scrub, tree, rock and flying objects from entering through the front grille or windshield. With a quality Volkswagen Amarok bull bar, you are also safe from animal strikes which is especially useful if you frequently travel through areas that are prone to collisions with animals.
Mounting Points
Volkswagen Amarok bull bars are also great for when you want to add more than one 4×4 accessory to the front of your vehicle. You can install a winch to make it easier to pull yourself out when you’re bogged down. LED lights and a UHF antenna can come in handy as well, and you can add them to the bull bar thanks to its dedicated mounting points.
Approach Angle
Since most VW Amarok bull bars extend to the headlights they can also provide protection for your wheels too. When you’re making a sharp turn and there is a raised surface, you won’t damage your wheels if you were to accidentally hit them, since the bull bar will be in the way.
What Are the Different Types of Bull Bars Available?
Bumper
These bull bars offer the least amount of protection possible and require the least amount of time to be installed. However, they’re still a slightly better option than the stock fender. They are minimalist accessories, so they add minimum protection and minimum weight.
Triple & Single Hoop
A triple hoop Volkswagen Amarok bull bar comes with three metal bars, one over each headlight and one in front of the grille. They offer great protection but weigh a lot more than a bumper bar. A single hoop bull bar is ideal if you want to add a solid level of protection without adding too much weight.
Nudge
With a nudge bar on your VW Amarok, you’ll only improve its aesthetics. Nudge bars offer almost no protection as they’re made for light impacts. They are also not mounted to the chassis of your Amarok like other bull bars are.
Baja
Similar to a bumper bar, a Baja bar is like an upgraded version that comes with additional reinforcement into the chassis of your Amarok. You can use a high-powered winch on a Baja bar, but it won’t be suitable for withstanding animal strikes.
Competition
Installing a competition bull bar on your Amarok will bring you the best level of protection, but the most weight as well. When a competition bullbar gets bent or damaged it is very easy to remove and install a new one. This is why those who participate in off-roading competitions use them.
What Material Options are There?
Steel
In order for your Amarok to have the best level of protection at the front, most people would suggest you go for a steel bullbar. While this is true, it is not always the best-case scenario. Steel is strong, but it is also quite heavy. This affects fuel consumption a lot, which is why people often go for a smaller steel bullbar which may not offer the amount of protection you require.
Plastic
A plastic bullbar may not be as rugged and as strong as a steel one but it is the lightest option you have. If you don’t go through animal strike prone areas that often, and don’t want your VW Amarok to have poor fuel economy, then go with a plastic bullbar.
Aluminium
But if you are one of those people who wants to get the best of both worlds, you should then consider installing an aluminium VW Amarok bull bar. An aluminium bullbar is both strong and light for its size, is quite durable, and features anti-corrosive properties.