Volkswagen Taos spied with a facelift in Germany

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The Volkswagen Tharu was launched in China in late 2018 to capitalize on the ever-increasing demand for SUVs. Built by Shanghai Volkswagen, and by FAW-Volkswagen as the Tayron, it is also available as an EV called the eTharu in its home market. The vehicle seen here is a facelifted Tharu which should go on sale in China by early 2023.

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Volkswagen Taos spied with a facelift in Germany Back to video

Here in North America, it’s called the Volkswagen Taos and it arrived barely over a year ago for the 2022 model year, but has so far proven to be a popular choice with small SUV buyers. If anything, it will handily outsell the compact Volkswagen Golf which it is meant to replace. Its styling, pleasing drive, and relative spaciousness make it a great choice when shopping for a first SUV.

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Undeniably, the Tharu and Taos are identical twins, though it’s unlikely we will see an updated Taos so soon after its release. However, it’s still a peek at what’s to come. There’s a good chance the Taos.5, possibly for the 2024 model year, will inherit the same new front and rear bumpers, slightly updated front grille, as well as revised headlights and taillights.

The Tharu seen in the pictures is a 280 TSI meaning it is powered by a turbocharged 1.4-litre engine driving the front wheels, built by Shanghai Volkswagen. Our Taos gets its mojo from a boosted 1.5-litre 4-cylinder engine that sends power to the front wheels via an eight-speed automatic or to VW’s 4MOTION AWD system through a seven-speed automatic DSG transmission; the Taos that North America receives is built in Mexico.

As for the Chinese eTharu, we don’t expect to see an e-Taos ever. Although both the Tharu and Taos are assembled on VW’s current MQB platform, the eTharu uses the now-deceased e-Golf’s electric motor. Furthermore, VW’s current EV efforts are concentrated on the MEB platform.