Argentine Presentation Hints at New Smaller Crossover for US Market

Volkswagen USA might be bringing a new small crossover to a dealer near you. At least, that’s what a slide from an Argentinian press event seems to suggest.

The slide, first reported by Argentina Autoblog, shows the plan for something called the Tarek (or the Tharu, depending on the market you’re in). Lain against a map of the world, the crossover appears to be under consideration for China, Russia, Argentina, Brazil, Mexico, Canada, and indeed America as early as 2021.

Known as the Tharu in China, there’s already we already know about the crossover. At roughly 175 inches long, it’s about 10 inches shorter than the US Tiguan—or roughly the same length as the Audi Q3.

Curiously, it’s just an inch shorter than the European, short wheelbase Tiguan, but shares design cues (headlights, hood, grille) in common with the Atlas.

The Chinese Tarek comes with three engine options, but the 2.0-liter turbo four (186 hp) is likely the only one that would become available in the US.

While this isn’t quite clear confirmation, a sub-Tiguan crossover does make good sense. Volkswagen USA has been claiming it wants to become a full-line manufacturer for a long time now, and now that the Tiguan Limited is dead the little crossover is a fairly sizeable hole in their lineup.

[source: Argentina Autoblog]

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