Photo: Volkswagen
Because the Beetle is no longer in production, Volkswagen decided to fill up the void at Puebla in Mexico with a different nameplate. The Tarek is the most obvious candidate, more so if you take a look at the following statement.
“Volkswagen de Mexico will soon shift resources to produce a North American market-focused compact SUV that fits in the manufacturer’s lineup below the Tiguan.” It’s called Tharu in China, and even though it’s smaller than the Tiguan, the Tarek features an Atlas-esque design for the front fascia.
“It’s impossible to imagine where Volkswagen would be without the Beetle,” said Scott Keogh, head honcho of Volkswagen in America. “While its time has come, the role it has played in the evolution of our brand will be forever cherished.” Such beautiful words can’t hide the truth, though. More to the point, the Tarek will sell in greater numbers than the Beetle did in the past few years.
Let’s go through the numbers, shall we? 14,411 examples of the Beetle in 2018 compared to 89,476 for the Tiguan is a big difference, and the Atlas isn’t doing too bad either with 59,677 sales. Looking at the bigger picture, it was right for Volkswagen to pull the plug on the Beetle for the Tarek.
Essentially a re-bodied and re-badged Skoda Karoq, the Volkswagen Tharu comes with three engine options in China. Be it the 1.2-, 1.4-, or 2.0-liter TSI, don’t expect anything more than 186 horsepower from four cylinders and a turbocharger to boot. A turbo diesel hasn’t been introduced in the Middle Kingdom, partly because this type of fuel isn’t exactly popular in the Asian country.
The MQB underpinnings of the Tarek and the arrival of the Golf 8 in the United States might also spell the end for the Golf Alltrack. Volkswagen intends to carry on with the Golf in this part of the world but only with the GTI and R, but do remember that no official confirmation has been offered yet this regard.
On that note, would you consider the Tarek over other compact-sized crossovers available today?
“It’s impossible to imagine where Volkswagen would be without the Beetle,” said Scott Keogh, head honcho of Volkswagen in America. “While its time has come, the role it has played in the evolution of our brand will be forever cherished.” Such beautiful words can’t hide the truth, though. More to the point, the Tarek will sell in greater numbers than the Beetle did in the past few years.
Let’s go through the numbers, shall we? 14,411 examples of the Beetle in 2018 compared to 89,476 for the Tiguan is a big difference, and the Atlas isn’t doing too bad either with 59,677 sales. Looking at the bigger picture, it was right for Volkswagen to pull the plug on the Beetle for the Tarek.
Essentially a re-bodied and re-badged Skoda Karoq, the Volkswagen Tharu comes with three engine options in China. Be it the 1.2-, 1.4-, or 2.0-liter TSI, don’t expect anything more than 186 horsepower from four cylinders and a turbocharger to boot. A turbo diesel hasn’t been introduced in the Middle Kingdom, partly because this type of fuel isn’t exactly popular in the Asian country.
The MQB underpinnings of the Tarek and the arrival of the Golf 8 in the United States might also spell the end for the Golf Alltrack. Volkswagen intends to carry on with the Golf in this part of the world but only with the GTI and R, but do remember that no official confirmation has been offered yet this regard.
On that note, would you consider the Tarek over other compact-sized crossovers available today?
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