Volkswagen Taos almost fully revealed ahead of premiere

The Volkswagen Tharu crossover will shed its ‘China-only’ status on October 13, debuting in the United States under the name Taos. Here are the latest spy pics of the model along with the official powertrain specs posted by the manufacturer.

The CUV will be Volkswagen’s first U.S. vehicle powered by the 1.5-liter EA211 Evo Series engine turbocharged to deliver 160 hp (120 kW) and 249 Nm (183 lb-ft). It will ship in two drive versions: FWD, which will work in tandem with eight-speed automatic transmission, and AWD, which will use seven-speed DSG semi-auto.

The Taos will be 4.4 meters (14.44 feet) long and thus the smallest csossover SUV on the VW USA lineup. As such, it will be marketed as the cheaper alternative to the Tiguan.