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The Taro though, was a project of badge engineering. The Taro was a rebadged Toyota Hilux - fully engineered and designed by Toyota. The two companies came together to solve each others problems: *Volkswagen Group at the time did not have a one-tonne pickup truck; *Toyota wanted European market share of European 1 tonne utility market. So in the late 1980s, Volkswagen Group and Toyota signed an agreement that Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles would manufacture the Toyota Hilux at its VWCV factory in Hanover, Germany, and it would be sold under the Volkswagen Taro moniker. The first Taros manufactured in Hanover, Germany, from 1989-1994 had a 2.4 litre diesel engine with 61 kW (13.4 PS ; 16.1 bhp), torque was 165 Nm (0 m) at 2,400 rpm, with loading space of 3.4 m2 (0 m) and a 1125 kg (0 m) payload. In September 1994 at the IAA Nutfahrzeuge (Commercial Vehicle Fair) in Hanover, Germany, Volkswagen released the four-wheel drive version of the Taro which had an extended cabin. The 4x4 Extended Cab Taro was manufactured in Toyota's Tahara plant in Japan, but now the Taro had an updated 2.4 litre diesel engine which produced 58 kW (12.8 PS ; 15.3 bhp) at 4,000 rpm and torque of 163 Nm (0 m) at 2,400 rpm. The 4x4 Taro had a 2.9 m2 (0 m) loading space and 815 kg (0 m) payload, but could tow 750 kg (0 m) without brakes, and 2100 kg (0 m) with brakes. The joint venture ended in 1996, due to being under both car marques expectations. |
