The 2025 Taos is a compact five-seat SUV. It squares off with the Hyundai Kona, Subaru Crosstrek, and Kia Seltos among others.
The 2025 Taos arrives with fresh design details, a more refined powertrain, and more tech while retaining a comfortable and spacious interior. It earns a TCC Rating of 5.8 out of 10, besting some of the competition thanks to its value (Read more about how we rate cars.).
VW has given the Taos a nip and a tuck with updated lighting, more standard features, and a stronger, smoother, revised powertrain.
Available in S, SE, SE Black, and SEL trims, the Taos lineup is simple and straightforward. VW has brought some of the top-trim’s features down to the SE grade for 2025. Front-wheel drive is standard while all-wheel drive is available.
Inside and out the Taos remains a conservatively styled small SUV that won’t offend anyone.
Taos SUVs get revised front and rear bumpers, updated front grille, and LED lighting elements. Top trim models now feature an LED bar across the front end that connects the headlights, similar to what’s found on VW’s ID.4 electric car. The LED taillights are now connected with a light bar as well. Base models roll on 17-inch aluminum wheels while front-wheel-drive SE models upsize to 18s and top-spec SEL models get 19s.
Inside VW’s added some soft-touch materials to the door panels with stitching. The dashboard still wears hard plastic as do the tops of the rear door panels. Last year’s 6.5-inch touchscreen has been ditched in favor of a standard 8.0-inch touchscreen for 2025. An 8.0-inch digital gauge cluster is standard while top-shelf SE Plus models get a larger 10.3-inch unit.
Every Taos is still powered by a 1.5-liter turbo-4, but power output rises 16 hp to 174 hp. Torque holds steady with 184 lb-ft. Every Taos now features a conventional 8-speed automatic, where previously the all-wheel-drive models swapped in a 7-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission. The 8-speed offers a smoother driving experience. Front-wheel drive is standard while all-wheel drive is available on mid-grade SE and SE Black models. It’s standard on the Taos SEL.
The front-wheel-drive Taos still uses a simple twist-beam rear suspension while all-wheel-drive models upgrade to a more sophisticated multi-link rear axle. The suspension tuning hasn’t changed, so the Taos rides differently depending on the drive wheels. Multi-link models have better control over rough pavement, but are also hundreds of pounds heavier.
As the smallest VW SUV, the Taos checks in 9.3 inches shorter than the Tiguan with most of the reduction happening between the wheels. Despite the small footprint the Taos packs a large interior in a small space. Four adults will be comfortable and cargo carrying capacity checks in between 25 and 27 cubic feet depending on front-wheel or all-wheel-drive configurations.
Fuel economy registers as high as 31 mpg combined, which is pretty good for a small SUV. We’ve seen this prove out in the real world
Every Taos has standard adaptive cruise control, blind-spot monitors, automatic emergency braking, and active lane control. Previously the Taos earned a four-star rating from the NHTSA and the IIHS called out the small SUV’s headlights as mediocre. The headlights are new for 2025 while the Taos’ structure carries over. No updated crash test scores are yet available.
How much does the 2025 Volkswagen Taos cost?
VW wants $26,420 including $1,425 for destination nets a base S model, which is a value. That’s only $1,000 more than last year for a nicer, better-equipped vehicle. Adding all-wheel drive tacks on $1,700, which is less than the previous year’s $2,340 upcharge.
Where is the 2025 Volkswagen Taos made?
In Mexico.
