2024 Volkswagen Tharu officially arrives in the Philippines with Php 1.808M starting price

It may have taken a while but Volkswagen Philippines, under the distributorship of AC Motors, a subsidiary of the Ayala Corporation, is finally expanding its lineup once again with the introduction of its newest compact crossover, the Tharu.

The Volkswagen Tharu is another global SUV model from the German automaker. Known as the Taos in North America. It is built on the Volkswagen MQB A1 platform which is shared with the new Volkswagen Jetta sedan from other markets as well as the Lavida from the Chinese market.

As already announced previously, the 2024 Volkswagen Tharu will be available in two variants—300 TSI SE and 300 TSI SEL. It will sit above the T-Cross subcompact crossover and below the no longer offered Tiguan in the local Volkswagen lineup. 

For its exterior, the 2024 Volkswagen Tharu wears the latest in the German automaker’s design language with similar styling cues as the T-Cross and even the newer ID electric vehicle lineup. It keeps a subdued appearance with the use of straight lines rather than swoopy curvy lines. Making this stand-out is the illuminated rear emblem.

Standard exterior equipment on the SE are automatic LED headlights with LED daytime running lights, a black front grille with chrome accent, chrome door handles, power-folding heated side mirrors, 18-inch alloy wheels, silver roof rails, rear spoiler, and power tailgate. The SEL adds a “black package,” matrix LED headlights with sequential turn signals and adaptive front lighting system, fog lights, cornering lights, illuminated front grille, overfenders, 18-inch alloy wheels with red accent, and hands-free tailgate.

Available exterior color options are Pure White, Mangan Gray, Petroleum Blue, and Polytech Blue.

As for its interior, it follows as well the latest in Volkswagen design with a rather simple but modern layout. Like the exterior, it makes use of mostly straight lines with high quality materials. Two-tone color choices are also present with Deep Blue and Light Gray + copper accents for the SE, and choices of Deep Blue + Pine Gray with silver accents or Deep Blue + Light Gray + red accents for the SEL.

Standard interior equipment on the SE are leather + fabric combination seat material, 12-way power driver’s seat, 8-inch Active Info Display, 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system with Apple CarPlay connectivity, 6-speaker audio system, wireless phone charger, and dual-zone automatic climate control. The SEL adds full leather seats, 12-way power front passenger seat, heated front seats, auto-dimming rear-view mirror, 10.25-inch Active Info Display, and a 12-inch touchscreen infotainment system with Gesture Control and Apple CarPlay.

Powering both SE and SEL variants of the Volkswagen Tharu is a 1.5-liter turbocharged Inline 4-cylinder TSI gasoline engine that produces 160 horsepower and 250 Nm of torque, mated to a 7-speed DSG transmission, Volkswagen-speak for a dual-clutch transmission. It also comes with Volkswagen’s BlueMotion technology.

As for safety, standard on both variants are dual front airbags, side airbags, side curtain airbags, electronic stability program, traction control system, anti-slip regulation, tire pressure monitor, blindspot monitoring, rear cross traffic alert, reverse camera, and ISOFIX tethers. A PLA 3.0 Intelligent Parking Assist System, and 360-degree around-view monitor is added on the SEL.

For pricing, the 2024 Volkswagen Tharu starts at Php 1,808,000 for the 300 TSI SE variant, and Php 1,945,000 for the 300 TSI SEL variant. 

Customers will be able to take advantage of a 3-year or 100,000 kilometer vehicle warranty, and preventive maintenance service (PMS) will be conducted once every year or every 10,000 kilometers, whichever comes first.

With Volkswagen Philippines having been quiet over the past year and a half, it’s surely refreshing to see this new model. Hopefully this does well for them. What do you think of the 2024 Volkswagen Tharu?

Watch our first look video of the 2024 Volkswagen Tharu here.