Volkswagen’s Skoda Karoq under the knife

Volkswagen, Audi and Skoda sell various models in China that you cannot get in Europe, but which are in a way related to products that you can purchase in Europe. For example, Skoda supplies a Kamiq and Kamiq GT in China, the latter of which has a more sloping roofline. Unlike the European model, the two Chinese Kamiqs are not based on MQB. but on the PQ34 platform that you may remember from the first generation Audi TT, the first Seat Leon, the first Octavia and the Volkswagen Golf IV and New Beetle, among others. Audi sells a sedan based on the A7 Sportback in China in the form of the A7L. In addition, in addition to a series of longer versions of the A4, A6 and even Q5, it not only has an electric and here unknown Q5 e-tron, but also a Q6 on the menu. Volkswagen makes it even more colorful and sells a wide range of sedans, crossovers, SUVs and even MPVs on both outdated and current technology in China. VW distributes these models, just like Audi and Skoda, over two joint ventures. That creates quite a bit of overlap. Back to the car that plays the leading role in this article. That is the Volkswagen Tharu. That SUV-like is not for sale in the Netherlands, but is not unknown to a certain extent.

Volkswagen Tharu (2023 – ).

The Volkswagen Tharu appeared in 2018 and is a step above the T-Cross (or Tacqua) in China, but below the T-Roc and Tiguan. The SUV is 4.45 meters long in China and has a wheelbase of 2.68 meters. The wheelbase is therefore the same as that of the Volkswagen Tiguan, but larger than that of the Seat Ateca (2.64 meters) and the European Skoda Karoq (2.64 meters). Indeed, the European. The Karoq is longer in China and has a longer wheelbase that is equal to that of the Tharu. The Chinese Volkswagen Tharu therefore shares parts of its sheet metal with the Chinese Skoda Karoq and even with the VS5 of Volkswagen’s Chinese sub-brand Jetta.

Volkswagen Tharu (pre facelift).

Volkswagen brought an externally different variant of the Tharu to the North American car markets in 2020 and put the model on the sales lists there as Taos. For a moment it seemed that the Tharu would get its front and rear, but that is not the case. The updated Tharu swaps its Teramont’s angular snout for a front view with larger, rounded headlamps with flares that dip into the wheel arches. The Seat Ateca-like buttocks make way for interconnected rear lights with multiple LED layers. In the interior, the infotainment system is no longer housed in the center console. From now on it is more or less loose on top. The screen itself is growing and now has a diagonal of 12 inches. Previously it was 9.2 inches. There is also an electric Tharu: the e-Tharu. His appearance has not yet been updated.

Volkswagen’s Chinese SUV and crossover range in China includes the Tavendor, the Tayron and Tayron X, the Talagon, Teramont and Teramont X, Tiguan, Tiguan L and Tiguan X, T-Roc, Touareg, ID4 X , ID4 Crozz, ID6 X and ID6 Crozz. In addition, Volkswagen supplies three MPVs in the form of the Touran, Viloran and the old Sharan. Moreover, you can turn to Volkswagen for an arsenal of sedans: from the CC to the Sagitar, from the Bora to the Lamando, from the Magotan to the Phideon and from the Santana to the Lavida. In addition, Volkswagen also supplies the Golf in China and the Beetle, which has disappeared in Europe for a while. The facelift versions of various models are sold alongside the pre-facelift variants.