The Volkswagen Tharu was unveiled in 2018 for the Chinese market and about two years later a revised version was launched in North America as VW Taos. This crossover is now being readied for a facelift and we have the first spy photos showing a prototype of the Chinese market model, possibly previewing the design tweaks coming later to the US.
Interestingly, although this is obviously the Tharu for China – you can tell by the badges on the boot lid – our photographers took the test vehicle to Germany. There’s no heavy camo, although a little disguise to the front and rear suggests there will be some tweaks to the design. The front end seems to have minor changes to the lower part of the bumper trimmed with new headlights. There could be other new touches too, as we spotted red stripes covering parts of the grille.
16 Pictures
It’s a similar story at the rear where the taillights are slightly camouflaged. The clusters resemble the taillights of the Tiguan, although that may not be their final shape and size. Even more red tape covers the Volkswagen logo in the middle and we have a feeling there could be a coast-to-coast LED strip hidden below. Of course, this is our own suggestion which cannot be confirmed at this time.
The Taos and Tharu are available with different engines depending on the region. In the United States, the compact crossover is equipped with a 1.5-liter turbocharged gasoline engine developing 158 horsepower (118 kilowatts) and 184 pound-feet (249 Newton-meters) of torque. If you opt for the front-wheel-drive model, it has an eight-speed torque-converter automatic gearbox, while the AWD gets a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission.
We don’t expect the hardware to change for the facelifted model. The powertrain will likely be retained, though there may be infotainment system upgrades. For the 2023 model year in the US, the Taos starts at $24,155, while the top-spec Taos SEL will set you back at least $34,535.
The Volkswagen Tharu was unveiled in 2018 for the Chinese market and about two years later a revised version was launched in North America as VW Taos. This crossover is now being readied for a facelift and we have the first spy photos showing a prototype of the Chinese market model, possibly previewing the design tweaks coming later to the US.
Interestingly, although this is obviously the Tharu for China – you can tell by the badges on the boot lid – our photographers took the test vehicle to Germany. There’s no heavy camo, although a little disguise to the front and rear suggests there will be some tweaks to the design. The front end seems to have minor changes to the lower part of the bumper trimmed with new headlights. There could be other new touches too, as we spotted red stripes covering parts of the grille.
16 Pictures
It’s a similar story at the rear where the taillights are slightly camouflaged. The clusters resemble the taillights of the Tiguan, although that may not be their final shape and size. Even more red tape covers the Volkswagen logo in the middle and we have a feeling there could be a coast-to-coast LED strip hidden below. Of course, this is our own suggestion which cannot be confirmed at this time.
The Taos and Tharu are available with different engines depending on the region. In the United States, the compact crossover is equipped with a 1.5-liter turbocharged gasoline engine developing 158 horsepower (118 kilowatts) and 184 pound-feet (249 Newton-meters) of torque. If you opt for the front-wheel-drive model, it has an eight-speed torque-converter automatic gearbox, while the AWD gets a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission.
We don’t expect the hardware to change for the facelifted model. The powertrain will likely be retained, though there may be infotainment system upgrades. For the 2023 model year in the US, the Taos starts at $24,155, while the top-spec Taos SEL will set you back at least $34,535.