Happening after all? Production Volkswagen Tarok could bow next year

Despite it being reported earlier this year that Volkswagen had scrapped plans to put the Tarok bakkie into production, a new claim from Brazil has alleged that the rival for the Fiat Toro and incoming Ford Maverick will in fact become a reality next year.

In accordance with comment made back in August by Volkswagen Group of America CEO, Scott Keogh, Wolfsburg’s President for South America, Pablo Di Si, who made the original axing comments, alluded to in a virtual media briefing that a number of segments will be filled in due course, which, according to motor1.com Brazil, includes the segment also frequented by the Renault Duster Oroch South Africa will be getting next year.

Shown as a concept at the Sao Paulo Motor Show two years ago, the concept Tarok, which could also serve as a replacement for the dated Saveiro, rode on the same MQB A0 platform as the Polo, which itself will get an off-inspired model along the lines of the CrossPolo and Polo Vivo Maxx called the Track next year.

With production of the Track poised to take place at Volkswagen’s Taubaté Plant in Sao Paulo, the Tarok appears set for production alongside the Taos at the former Beetle plant in Puebla, Mexico, initially only for South America. Billed as world model in concept guise, the Tarok utilised the same 1.4 TSI engine as the Nivus crossover, with mentioning being made of a 2.0 TDI for export markets.

In addition, the ‘world’ designation has ignited rumours of it being possibly made in right-hand-drive, which, together with the mentioned TDI powerunit, would see it being eligible for South Africa as an alternative to not only the Oroch, but also the aging, rumoured to-be-replaced-soon, first generation Dacia/Renault Logan derived Nissan NP200. Expect more possible to be revealed over the coming weeks and months.

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