Car spotters have tracked down another new Volkswagen SUV: the Tarek. We are using the term ‘new’ loosely here, because the car debuted as the VW Tharu in China in 2018. Furthermore, both are essentially derived from the Skoda Karoq with only some exterior and cabin styling differences and a longer wheelbase.

The German automotive giant never denied its intentions to release the SUV worldwide. It will be known as the Tharu in China and Russia, and as the Tarek in the Argentine Republic and Mexico. The latter is the one depicted here.


Based on the images, the 2021 VW Tarek will get its own bumper, radiator grille and headlight styling. Unlike the Tharu, it will not look like a downsized copy of the VW Atlas/Teramont. The dimensions will be close to those of its Chinese counterpart, meaning the full car length of 4,468 mm and the wheelbase of 2,681 mm.

In Latin America, the SUV will mainly ship with a 1.4-liter turbocharged engine and automatic transmission. The 2021 Volkswagen Tarek should be fully revealed in the second half of 2020.