VW to Launch Tarek Small SUV in Mexico

Volkswagen AG says it will begin building its new Tarek small SUV/crossover at its factory in Puebla, Mexico, next year. The vehicle is expected to go on sale in the U.S. in early 2021.

The model will use capacity formerly assigned to the VW Beetle, which went out of production at Puebla yesterday. The huge facility continues to build Jetta compact sedans and Tiguan compact crossovers, primarily for the North American market.

The Tarek, which is slightly smaller than the Tiguan, is a variant of the Tharu small SUV (pictured) that VW launched earlier this year in China.

The front-wheel-drive Tharu rides on the company’s versatile MQB platform, which also carries the Tiguan and such models as the Polo and Golf hatchbacks and Jetta and Passat small sedans. VW so far has provided no details about the Tarek.