The Volkswagen Taro 1 tonne pickup truck was introduced in January 1989 by Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles[1] to complement the half tonne Caddy pickup / panel van ranges, and the 1 tonne Transporter van and chassis cab ranges. The name "tarō" is a suffix used in Japanese to denote the oldest brother or son, or the first-born son of a family.
The Taro was a project of badge engineering. The Taro was a rebadged fifth generation Toyota Hilux, which was fully engineered and designed by Toyota. The two companies came together in an effort to solve each other's problems:
Volkswagen Group at the time did not have a one-tonne pickup truck.
Toyota wanted a bigger European market share of the one-tonne utility market.
In the late 1980s, Volkswagen Group and Toyota signed an agreement that Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles would assemble the Toyota Hilux at its VWCV factory in Hanover, Germany, and it would be sold under the Volkswagen Taro moniker.[2]
The first Taros manufactured in Hanover, Germany, from 1989-1994 had a 2.4-litre diesel engine with 61 kW (83 PS; 82 bhp), torque was 165 N⋅m (122 lbf⋅ft) at 2,400 rpm, with loading space of 3.4 square metres (37 sq ft) and a 1,125 kg (2,480 lb) payload. The Hanover plant only built the Taro with two-wheel drive and a regular cab, although the "Volkswagen Taro" name was used for other versions imported from Japan in some European markets.[2]
In September 1994 at the IAA Nutfahrzeuge (Commercial Vehicle Fair) in Hanover, Germany,[3] 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 (79 PS; 78 bhp) at 4,000 rpm and torque of 163 N⋅m (120 lbf⋅ft) at 2,400 rpm. The 4x4 Taro had a 2.9 square metres (31 sq ft) loading space and 815 kg (1,797 lb) payload, but could tow 750 kg (1,653 lb) without brakes, and 2,100 kg (4,630 lb) with brakes.
Side view of a 4x4 Extended Cab Taro
The joint venture ended in 1997, due to sales failing to meet either car marque's expectations.
^ abRex, Rainer, ed. (July 1989), Lastauto Omnibus Katalog 1990 [Truck and bus catalog] (in German), vol. 19, Motor-Presse-Verlag GmbH und Co. KG, pp. 44–45, 81531/89001
