Volkswagen is going to inject a bit more pizzazz into the compact SUV segment with its updated Taos. The baby crossover will benefit from the usual nip-and-tuck treatment we’ve come to expect from a midcycle update — with one pleasant twist: The 1.5-liter engine carries over, but with some nifty upgrades that boost the output to 174 horsepower. That’s a bump of 16 horses over the 2024 — not bad at all for a mere refresh. VW now pairs the all-wheel drive model with a conventional eight-speed automatic transmission; the old seven-speed DSG is headed out to pasture.
The new face loses the jowly air curtains that dominated the lower bumper extremities. This cleaner look is accentuated by the body-colored grill insert. Don’t worry, though; there’s plenty of plastic mesh remaining in the bottom half of the bumper. Kidding aside, we’d call this an upgrade. It’s good news out back too. While the new continuous tail light look may not be original, it does work nicely here.
Inside, there’s good news and bad, though your individual preferences may come into play here. Let’s start with the bad: the HVAC dials are gone. In their place, we get the touch-sensitive sliders that VW has incorporated into many of its new interiors. They don’t do the job any better than what they replaced, but for better or for worse, they do match the gloss black on the bezel surrounding the new, 8-inch infotainment setup. VW also gave the seats some love; the new contrast arrangement suits them.
VW doesn’t have pricing info to share on the 2025 Taos just yet. Expect details (and deliveries) before the end of the year.