2025 Volkswagen Taos First Look
VW's compact SUV gets fresh looks inside and out, plus a power bump.
Volkswagen
QuickTakes:
The Volkswagen Taos debuted for the 2022 model year, making it a relatively new addition to the automaker's lineup. For 2025, VW’s smallest crossover gets a mid-cycle refresh, which brings a fresh face and more power.
Set to go on sale by the end of 2024, the latest VW Taos will be available in four trim levels: S, SE, SE Black, and SEL.
Volkswagen
The Exterior Has Been Tweaked and the Dash Redesigned
The 2025 Taos has a lightly revised front end featuring a narrow grille flanked by a pair of LED projector headlights. Some trim levels feature a light bar connecting the headlights, and outback there's an illuminated "VW" badge. Below the Taos' unpainted fender flares, you'll find newly redesigned wheels measuring 17 to 19 inches in diameter.
VW has also added three new paint color options: Bright Moss Green, Monterey Blue Pearl, and Monument Gray.
The cabin features a new dashboard design with an 8.0-inch touchscreen on all trim levels; last year's base Taos had a smaller 6.5-inch touchscreen. Depending on the trim, you'll find either cloth, a blend of synthetic leather and cloth, or leather upholstery. A new dark blue interior hue is available on the top SEL trim level, too.
Myriad small interior revisions include more sound deadening as well as capacitive switches in place of conventional buttons for the climate controls on all but the base model.
Volkswagen
Taos Gets More Power for 2025
The Taos keeps the same turbocharged 1.5-liter four-cylinder engine, but Volkswagen tweaked a variety of underhood bits to bump power from 158 to 174 horsepower. Once again, front-wheel drive is standard, while all-wheel drive is optional. All Taos models now use a conventional eight-speed automatic transmission. A seven-speed dual-clutch transmission was paired with all-wheel drive last year.
VW hasn't released fuel-economy figures for the 2025 Taos. Last year's front-wheel-drive models were EPA estimated at 28/36/31 mpg city/highway/combined.
Volkswagen
Taos Sees a Small Boost to Its Driver-Assistance Tech
All Taos models now include forward automated emergency braking with pedestrian detection, adaptive cruise control with stop-and-go, lane-keeping assist, rear cross-traffic alert, and blind-spot monitoring. Front and rear parking sensors are also available.
Andrew GanzAndrew has been hooked on cars since his mother coaxed him into naps by driving him around in her rattly old diesel Mercedes-Benz. Perhaps it was the diesel fumes that lulled him to sleep. Either way, he has since parlayed his automotive enthusiasm into a decades-long career as a journalist writing for such well-known sites as Auto Express, Autoblog, Car and Driver, Leftlane News, Motor1, Motor Authority, and The Car Connection, not to mention numerous classic-car publications. When he's not researching cars, he's probably working on one — though he has yet to own a diesel Mercedes. Off to the classifieds he goes.
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