By the looks of things, it seems that Volkswagen Philippines might be bringing in the Tharu crossover here. So far, there are three shadowy teaser photos on the company’s Facebook page, but there are enough details shown to figure out this ‘mystery car’.
But what exactly is a Tharu, you ask?
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The Tharu, also known as the Taos on other markets, is a model that’s positioned above the T-Cross but below the Tiguan. In terms of size, it measures 4,453mm long, 1,841mm wide, and 1,635mm tall with a wheelbase of 2,680mm. Volkswagen USA claims this model is a compact crossover, but those dimensions are closer to subcompact crossover sizes that compact. With that, some of its potential rivals include the Honda HR-V, Hyundai Creta, and Toyota Yaris Cross.
The Tharu is a product of SAIC-VW (China) but quickly became a global product after it was introduced in North America, South America, and Eastern Europe. Judging by Volkswagen Philippines’ connections to Shanghai, there’s a strong possibility that the local market will get the China-assembled units. There’s also a good chance the Philippines will get the Tharu name instead of Taos as it’s called in the Americas.
Power specs, you ask? Well, Volkswagen Philippines is still tight-lipped on details for now. However, a quick peek at the SAIC-VW website could give us some clues as to what the local models might be like once it’s launched here.
There are two available powertrains for the Tharu, namely turbocharged 1.5-liter and boosted 2.0-liter TSI (Turbo Stratified Injection) engines. The 1.5 TSI makes 158hp and 250Nm of torque, while the 2.0 TSI puts out 184hp and 320Nm of torque. Both these engines shift with a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission or Direct Shift Gearbox in VW speak. 4Motion all-wheel drive is even available for the Tharu, but it’s exclusive to the 2.0 TSI version.
It’s still too early to tell the pricing for now, but we can do estimates based on prices in China. Over there, the base model starts at 158,600 yuan or P1,234,460 at current conversions rates. Meanwhile the mid-spec retails for 181,600 yuan or approximately P1,413,470. Lastly, the top-spec model with the 2.0 TSI with all-wheel drive carries a price tag of 216,600 yuan or around P1,685,900.
