Subcompact SUVs are the new mainstream cars, and the Volkswagen Taos has been an appealing one since its 2022 model year debut. It’s among the most spacious of the small SUVs and has a fashionable interior, but it has a problem: it’s underpowered.
A refresh for the 2025 model year should solve that and bring sharper styling to boot.
Volkswagen revealed the new Taos this morning. It’s not a bolt-for-bolt redesign but a styling update and technology refresh to make the Taos more competitive.
Volkswagen hasn’t revealed pricing. The 2024 Taos starts at $25,420 (including the mandatory $1,425 destination fee).
Horsepower Bump Pushes the Taos to the Top of Its Class
The headline goes to an upgraded engine. The 2025 Taos uses a 1.5-liter turbocharged engine like the 2024 model. However, with a few tweaks, it now puts out 174 horsepower — more than the base engines in the 2025 Kia Seltos (146 hp) or the 2025 Honda HR-V (158 hp).
An 8-speed automatic transmission passes that power to the wheels on all Taos models. Previously, all-wheel drive (AWD) versions used a 7-speed. Many rivals use a continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT) instead. CVTs are an efficient solution, but some drivers find them sluggish, especially on startup. Real gears are welcome in a class full of CVTs.
The Taos keeps its optional 4Motion AWD, which not every similarly-priced SUV can match.
EV-Like Face
A new look borrows from Volkswagen’s electric lineup. The grille almost disappears, now exceptionally thin and outlined by optional LED light bars top and bottom. A large air damn low on the front fascia helps draw air where it’s needed. The look borrows from the ID.4 electric SUV and continues a design trend of making electric cars and gas-powered cars look more similar every year.
Connected taillights repeat the motif in the rear.
New-Look Dashboard, ChatGPT
Inside, a new dashboard design mounts an 8-inch touchscreen high — VW calls it “floating.” On higher trim levels, Touch controls operate the HVAC system. That’s both welcome and concerning. We prefer HVAC controls that are not locked behind touchscreen menus, but Volkswagen’s touch sliders have been so problematic that the brand recently promised to eliminate them in future designs.
Volkswagen brings its Travel Assist semi-automated driving assistance system to the 2025 Taos. The system can brake, accelerate, and turn with the roadway as long as the driver keeps their hands on the wheel to intervene if needed.
A Volkswagen spokesperson told Kelley Blue Book the brand’s new ChatGPT-enable virtual assistant will be available on the Taos, for $12 per year. Such systems typically require subscriptions, but the company hasn’t revealed whether buyers get a free trial period.
Volkswagen’s subcompact SUV is among the most spacious subcompact models. With new car prices as high as they are, subcompact SUVs are now one of the few affordable options on most dealership lots. One with available AWD, sufficient power for most needs, lots of space, and high-tech toys like an AI chatbot is an excellent alternative for commuters and small families.
