The mystery is finally over. The vehicle from Project Tarek has been revealed: It's the new Volkswagen Taos. The model, a mid-size SUV produced in Argentina, was unveiled by the German automaker and will be launched on October 13th. 

With the launch of the Taos, Volkswagen takes another important step towards the SUV market, which has proven immune even to the pandemic.

One article from Exame Magazine It showed that during the quarantine, the best-selling vehicles were SUVs.

In today's article, the Senhor Carros team exclusively brings you everything that is already known about the model that is set to further intensify the competition in the already hotly contested SUV market. 

As many know, Volkswagen I was working on an SUV project called Tarek. Many believed the vehicle would be named after it, which didn't happen.

Taos is the definitive name for the Tarek project and was developed to sit between its siblings: the T-Cross and the Tiguan.

According to the manufacturer, the model is designed to compete directly with the Jeep Compass, which is the undisputed leader in the segment. 

And you must be wondering: But where does this name come from? 

According to a statement issued by Volkswagen, Taos is the name of a city and county in the state of New Mexico in the USA.

In addition, it is also the name of the language spoken by a Native American tribe: Tiwa. 

Taos means: Place of the red willows. The choice of the name has a whole marketing aspect behind it.

The automaker claims it chose this name to resonate harmoniously with American customers. 

Platform sharing has become very common among automakers. 

It's a way to reduce costs while offering consumers different vehicle model options. This increases the range of offerings and consequently attracts different customer profiles. 

Therefore, the Volkswagen Taos will be built on the MQB-A platform, which is already used by the Jetta, Tiguan and GolfThe SUV will be manufactured at the automaker's plant in Pacheco, Argentina. 

The Pacheco plant was chosen because the neighboring country is considered a fundamental pillar for the automaker in Latin America. 

With the production and subsequent sale of Taos, the German brand aims to strengthen its position in the region, thereby generating a solid financial base and gaining even more market share. This automatically generates greater profitability. 

Thus, once produced in Pacheco, the Taos will be imported throughout Latin America.

According to Volkswagen, the Taos' main features will be safety and comfort. 

The model will be packed with technology and, as teasers suggest, the design will be modern, but not too different from the lines widely used by SUVs that dominate the Brazilian market. 

It has already been said that the Volkswagen Taos will be equipped with the modern 1.4 TSI turbo flex four-cylinder engine capable of generating up to 150 horsepower.

Regarding the transmission, there will only be a 6-speed automatic gearbox. Initially, it is expected that the model will have a more streamlined catalog of versions.

A GTI version with a 2.0 TSI engine producing 320 horsepower and all-wheel drive is expected in the near future. But at the moment, this is mere speculation.

Although it has not yet been physically released, the dimensions of the Taos are already known. 

The model will be 4.47 meters long; 1.84 meters wide; 1.62 meters high and the wheelbase will be 2.68 meters. According to data from the manufacturer, the trunk has a capacity of 455 liters. 

Based on its dimensions, the Taos will be slightly larger than the Jeep Compass, which is considered its main rival. 

Positioned between the T-Cross and the Tiguan, the expectation is that the Taos will be priced between R$ 130,000 and R$ 150,000. 

Although many people don't know it, the Volkswagen Taos is already sold in China. But there it's called Tharu. 

The Chinese model has familiar elements from the brand's cars that are sold here in Brazil.

This is the case with the digital instrument cluster and the same standard for components such as the steering wheel and gearshift lever.

Although the Chinese model already exists, Volkswagen has stated that the Taos launched here will be different from the Chinese variant. 

As already seen in testing, the Latin American version will feature streamlined front grilles, new headlights, and the company's new logo. It premiered here. in the Volkswagen Nivus. 

Following the example of the automotive market, not only in Latin America but worldwide, the Taos arrives to further spice up the competition in an already hotly contested sector. 

Having another SUV available on the market ends up being beneficial to the consumer, since more competition tends to lead to better prices and conditions. 

However, experts at Senhor Carros point out that the arrival of the Taos could bring internal competition to the automaker, which has a wide range of SUVs such as the T-Cross and the Tiguan.

Furthermore, although the Nivus is considered a crossover, it still has the appeal of an SUV.

This allows Volkswagen to present a good number of sales distributed among its models without dominating the market with one model being the best-selling.

Now we want to hear from you. What are your expectations for Taos? Do you think it will be innovative or simply more of the same? 

Even without seeing it finished, would you want to buy a copy? Leave a comment with your opinion. Your participation is very important to us. 

And since we're talking about Volkswagen, how about checking out a list of the brand's best-selling models in Brazil in 2020? 

To do this, simply click on the link below and see which vehicles are the best sellers.

We'll tell you right now that the list contains some rather unexpected surprises. Shall we take a look?