Towards the end of 2023, Volkswagen introduced a new addition to its lineup, the Tharu compact crossover. In the model roster, it slots above the T-Cross and takes the place of the Tiguan. Like its bigger brother the Touareg, the Tharu gets its name from an indigenous tribe, this time from Nepal.
To get a better feel of this new SUV, Volkswagen Philippines invited us for a drive to Tagaytay. The mix of highway and mountainous roads would be a perfect test of the vehicle’s power, stability, handling, and comfort.
A closer look
Before departing, we took a closer look at the Tharu, offered in 300 TSI DSG SEL trim. Our assigned unit was Polytech Blue. It has a low slung and wide stance, but its ground clearance of 210-mm is tall enough to clear anything you’d encounter on our streets and on dirt roads. It rolls on 18-inch alloy wheels (with red accents) shod with 225/50 tires.
Instead of chrome, we got generous amounts of piano black accents on the outside. Up front is a black grille with an illuminated line which emanates from the VW badge and extends outward to the headlights. Together with LED daytime running lights, the Tharu is also equipped with advanced Matrix LED headlights and dynamic turn signals. Both cornering lights and fog lights have been integrated into the headlights, and beneath the grille are shiny black air dams with faux brushed-aluminum accents, adding to its buff looks.
The power-folding side mirrors are gloss black, matching the exterior garnish on both the B-pillars and the roof rails. Adding to the buff, outdoor appeal are the overfenders on the lower edge of the fenders, which meet with the cladding on the lower parts of the doors. More faux brushed-aluminum accents, which match those under the front bumper all the way to the rear, are also a nice touch. I think the rear is one of the more attractive parts of the Tharu, most specially the red line that runs from the illuminated badge leading to the LED rear combination lights.
Interior
A five-seat compact crossover SUV, the Tharu is well appointed for your needs. Getting in is easy with keyless entry and you can start the engine with just the push of a button. It’s got leather seats with electric 12-way adjust for the driver, and six-way adjust for the front passenger.
The second row offers a 60:40 split with headrests and a center armrest with cup holders. Cargo space is generous with 455 liters, expanded to 1,543 liters with the second row seats folded. When you turn on the headlights, the cabin’s ambient lighting switches on too.
Behind the steering wheel is a 10.25-inch instrument cluster with VW’s Active Info Display. The infotainment unit is a substantial 12-inch touchscreen with Gesture Control. It’s equipped with six speakers, Apple CarPlay, wireless charging, and USB and Bluetooth connectivity. The tilt and reach adjustable steering wheel has haptic capacitive buttons for audio, telephony and cruise control. The interior is kept cool with a dual-climate control system and vents for the rear occupants. The interior is bright, and lets more light in with the panoramic sunroof open.
The glove box has a cooling function, there's a wireless charger in the center console, and a smattering of type C and type A USB ports up front and rear.
Powerplant
As we made our way out of BGC to SLEX, we got to put the Tharu’s turbocharged Bluemotion Technology 1.5-liter gasoline engine to the test. This Euro-6 compliant, four-cylinder puts out 160-Ps at 5,500 rpms, 250-Nm of torque between 1750-4000 rpms, and is mated to VW’s seven-speed DSG transmission driving the front wheels.
Selectable drive modes such as Eco, Normal, Sport, and Custom are available. We tried them all, using Eco as we snaked our way out of BGC. Normal mode seemed a good balance between accelerator response and power on SLEX.
As we made our way off the expressway, we headed to our first stop, which was to give donations to the Chosen Children Village Foundation, a home for abandoned, physically and mentally challenged children. We took a tour around their facilities and got to meet some of the resident children. This was an eye-opening experience, and a reminder to be mindful of the things we take for granted.
Back on the road, we made our way to lightly twisting roads up to Tagaytay. Sport mode allowed us to make full use of the available power while keeping us within the rev range of maximum torque, should we need to overtake slower vehicles on the way up. Acceleration on sport mode was pretty good.
The Tharu has quite the suite of safety and convenience features: with the usual complement of ABS, traction control, airbags, and systems like Side Assist, Rear Traffic Alert, Anti Slip Regulation, area view camera (360 cam), reverse camera and ISOFIX tethers. The piece-de-resistance is probably the Intelligent Parking Assist System, which can park the vehicle for you, just needing your gear input while you modulate the brakes.
Impressions
The Tharu feels as German as you would expect the vehicle to be. The heavy doors give that satisfying “Euro-thud” when you close them, the exterior finish is exceptional, and gaps between panels are consistent. It's bigger in person than in photos and the 360-degree cam and electric power steering makes it easy to maneuver in tight spaces. The seats are firm, but comfortable even on long drives, and even at seating capacity affords some wiggle room, for Pinoys at least.
All in all, the Tharu is a well-specced SUV that handles and drives as well as you’d expect. It’s priced at ₱1,945,000.00, squarely under its direct competitors, making it a good contender if you're in the market for a compact crossover SUV, a German one, at that.