Volkswagen Tharu

The Volkswagen Tharu is an SUV built on the MQB platform and sold at first only in China. It was shown as the near-production Powerful Family SUV at the March 2018 premiere of the Touareg III, and the production car went on sale in China at the end of October 2018, built by Shanghai Volkswagen. Since 2021 the same series has also been marketed in North and South America and in Russia as the Volkswagen Taos, and since 2024 China additionally has the Tharu XR, based on the T-Cross. At launch the Tharu offered a 1.4 litre TSI petrol engine of 110 kW with front drive or a 2.0 litre of 137 kW with all wheel drive, both with a seven speed dual clutch gearbox, and an electric e-Tharu with a 44.1 kWh battery followed in October 2020. The name recalls the Tharu people of Nepal and northern India.