Photo: S. Baldauf/SB-Medien
Volkswagen Taos only started production in Mexico last year, but the model was actually introduced in 2018 in China as the Tharu. A facelift for the model is thus long overdue, but it should not take long now. A prototype wearing the Tharu badging was spotted undergoing testing in Germany.
While there are differences between the Chinese Tharu and the North American Taos, they share a lot of commonalities. The Taos can be seen as a revised version of the Tharu, which is natural considering it entered production three years after the latter. Nevertheless, the Chinese model has not received any update yet, but the situation should change soon.
Our spy photographers have stumbled upon a Volkswagen Tharu undergoing testing on a public road in Germany. It has German plates, which is interesting considering the Chinese badging on the tailgate. As you can see from the pictures in the gallery, the modifications are minimal. This explains the light camouflage, which only covers small areas front and rear. Although Volkswagen could’ve opted to update the Chinese model with Taos’s cues, the Tharu takes a different path.
Although strategically masked with duct tape, the headlights reveal a different design that could later land on the North American Taos. We see a new light signature with the LED running lights made out of individual LEDs. Red tape also covers limited zones on the front bumper, so don’t expect anything but the slightest changes.
The back could be the place of a more radical change, with red tape covering a wide area on the tailgate around the VW badge. This could indicate that Volkswagen might fit a LED strip between the taillights, which would be nice. Nevertheless, the taillights seem different, with a more focused light signature.
We don’t expect changes at the technical level. However, improvements in the infotainment department and safety assistance are all but guaranteed. The U.S.-bound Volkswagen Taos will still rock the 1.5-liter TSI engine with 158 horsepower, while the Mexican version is powered by a different 1.4-liter unit good for 150 horsepower. As for the Tharu in the pictures, the 280 TSI badging reveals that the same 1.4-liter powertrain is under the hood.
Our spy photographers have stumbled upon a Volkswagen Tharu undergoing testing on a public road in Germany. It has German plates, which is interesting considering the Chinese badging on the tailgate. As you can see from the pictures in the gallery, the modifications are minimal. This explains the light camouflage, which only covers small areas front and rear. Although Volkswagen could’ve opted to update the Chinese model with Taos’s cues, the Tharu takes a different path.
Although strategically masked with duct tape, the headlights reveal a different design that could later land on the North American Taos. We see a new light signature with the LED running lights made out of individual LEDs. Red tape also covers limited zones on the front bumper, so don’t expect anything but the slightest changes.
The back could be the place of a more radical change, with red tape covering a wide area on the tailgate around the VW badge. This could indicate that Volkswagen might fit a LED strip between the taillights, which would be nice. Nevertheless, the taillights seem different, with a more focused light signature.
We don’t expect changes at the technical level. However, improvements in the infotainment department and safety assistance are all but guaranteed. The U.S.-bound Volkswagen Taos will still rock the 1.5-liter TSI engine with 158 horsepower, while the Mexican version is powered by a different 1.4-liter unit good for 150 horsepower. As for the Tharu in the pictures, the 280 TSI badging reveals that the same 1.4-liter powertrain is under the hood.
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