Volkswagen Tarek Crossover Spied Testing In South America

The Volkswagen Tarek crossover is the brand's upcoming crossover to slot below the Tiguan, and new spy shots catch the South-American-market version under development. It goes on sale there in 2020 and comes to North America by the end of 2021. This test mule was on the road near São Paulo.

The engineering team covers the front and rear with camouflage but leaves the center of the vehicle exposed. The styling is upright and chiseled and looks like a larger version of the tinier T-Cross crossover. The Tarek is already available in China, but VW sells it as the Tharu there (see below). The overall design looks very similar between them, except for some trim differences.

The Tarek measures 14.6 feet (4.45 meters) long and has an 8.8-foot (2.68-meter) wheelbase. Cargo space totals 15.72 cubic feet (410 liters).

South American examples of the Tarek will get a 1.4 TSI engine making 148 horsepower (110 kilowatts and 184 pound-feet (250 Newton-meters) of torque that runs through a six-speed automatic gearbox to the front wheels. All-wheel drive might be available for it later.

In South America, the Tarek will slot between the T-Cross and Tiguan in VW's crossover lineup and will compete against the Jeep Compass there. The standard version will have seating for five, but there will also be a seven-seat variant. Prices there should be between R$ 120,000 to R$ 150,000 ($31,000 and $39,000) at current exchange rates.

VW's factory in Mexico will build the Tarek for the United States, and it'll take up the production capacity previously for the Beetle. Steffen Reiche, VW of Mexico CEO, says the North American version of the Tarek is more rugged than the Chinese variant.