Volkswagen Tharu XR SUV Launched In China; Taigun Facelift For India?

Volkswagen Taigun is a key product for the German brand in the Indian market. It managed to revive the company's dwindling sales. The Taigun is based on the MQB-A0-IN architecture, which is also shared with the Volkswagen Virtus, Skoda Kushaq, and Skoda Slavia in India. The automaker has now introduced another SUV in China - the Volkswagen Tharu XR, based on a slightly longer form of this platform. It is 134 mm longer than the Tiagun.

The Tharu XR SUV, however, gets the same wheelbase as the Taigun. The incremented length comes courtesy of longer overhangs. The new bumpers make it look more fresh and timeless than the Taigun. On the front, it utilizes a slim grille with an LED bar incorporated in it, which is further flanked by slender-looking LED headlamps. The rear fascia too boasts of distinction in comparison to the Taigun. The taillamps are restyled but the overall design is similar. The boot lid on the Tharu XR isn't as upright as the Taigun, making it look more upmarket.

Volkswagen has not yet revealed the interior of the Tharu XR SUV. We expect it to be slightly tweaked in contrast to what the Taigun gets. In all likelihood, it could feature a larger touchscreen infotainment unit with a crispier user interface. The feature list could include a panoramic sunroof, ventilated seats, ADAS, electric tailgate, powered ORVMs and more.

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The powertrain choices on the Tharu XR will include a 1.5L NA petrol and 1.5L turbo-petrol. The latter will push out a rated power output of 160 Hp and 250 Nm of max torque. Both of these engines will exclusively be offered with a 7-speed DCT.

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In China, the Tharu XR will sit in between the T-Cross and Tharu. Since the design is appealing and is in line with the new-gen Tiguan, we can expect the suit to be followed on the Taigun as well, when it goes under the knife for a mid-cycle update.