Is VW PH launching Tharu or facelifted T-Cross with new color?

A couple of weeks ago, customers made clear their disappointment with Volkswagen's local offerings. This came after Volkswagen Philippines slammed gray market imports of the ID.4 and ID.6 EVs.

While Volkswagen plans on offering both electric vehicles soon, several customers stated that the automaker is taking too long and that gray market importers are cashing in on the EV boom. Others even stated that Volkswagen's local lineup is a disaster and that they are not attuned to what the market wants.

Volkswagen Tharu pictured above

Now, Volkswagen Philippines recently posted a teaser image of what looks like an upcoming model bound for the country. It's also accompanied by a caption that reads “New hue for the new you”. From the looks of it, the automaker could either launch the Tharu compact crossover or reveal a refreshed version of the T-Cross complete with a new exterior color.

Looking at the front end of the vehicle, the teaser image shows what looks like the face of the T-Cross. While the Tharu heavily resembles the T-Cross (particularly the headlights), the former gets a different front bumper and lacks the silver-like accents that are present on the latter. And after brightening up the image thanks to the wonders of photo editing, it became clear that this will be indeed a T-Cross thanks to the obvious front plate.

Taking a quick look at what Volkswagen China currently gets, the T-Cross has indeed been updated for the 2023 model year. While it still looks relatively the same, it now gets blacked-out alloy wheels, black side mirror caps (we get body-colored side mirrors), and a new checkered flag-style decal on the D-pillars. The interior, meanwhile, now features LED ambient lighting for a cozier look and feel.

But what could be the most important update on the T-Cross is its new engine. Gone is the 1.5-liter naturally-aspirated four-cylinder, which has been replaced with the more powerful 1.4-liter TSI inline-four. It makes 150 PS with 250 Nm of torque and is mated to a 7-speed dual-clutch gearbox. Compared to the 1.5-liter engine we currently have, the turbocharged version makes 37 PS more and generates an extra 105 Nm of pulling power.

Volkswagen Philippines is still quiet about the exact details of its upcoming model. We, on the other hand, will be keeping an eye out for any new information or leaks regarding this vehicle.