The Volkswagen Taos is a compact crossover SUV from the German automaker. Smaller than the also-compact Volkswagen Tiguan but not quite subcompact, the Taos has filled a niche, in-between-sized slot in the lineup since the 2022 model year. It gets its first major refresh for 2025.
2025 Volkswagen Taos Pricing, Specs, and Release Date
- What’s New for the 2025 Volkswagen Taos
- Design
- Powertrain
- Interior
- Technology
- Safety
- Pricing and Release Date
- Further Research
What’s New for the 2025 Volkswagen Taos
As is typical for a mid-cycle refresh, the 2025 Taos gets some exterior styling updates as well as a revised interior. Less typical are the changes to the powertrain, which often–but clearly not always–accompany an all-new generation.
Design
The SUV’s new front end does get a different look, with the newly standard LED projector headlights surrounds now pinching together across the front rather than broadening into a wide grille. Higher trims emphasize this with a lightbar, and all trims get that treatment at the back thanks to standard connected taillights. An illuminated VW badge at the back is also standard, mimicking the larger Volkswagen Atlas.
The base Taos S comes with a new 17-inch aluminum alloy wheel design, while the step-up SE and top-trim SEL get 18- and 19-inch wheels, respectively. The SE Black trim returns for 2025, adding a black roof and trim and bringing its own wheel styles as well. They’re 18 inches for front-wheel-drive (FWD) SE Black models and 19 inches for all-wheel-drive (AWD) versions.
Three new exterior colors are available for the 2025 Taos: Bright Moss Green, Monterey Blue Pearl, and Monument Gray bring some welcome punches of color to the road.
Powertrain
The Taos still comes with a 1.5-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine for 2025, but it’s been revised to boost the horsepower up to 174. This represents a 16-hp boost over 2024. Perhaps more excitingly, Volkswagen has ditched the often-maligned seven-speed DSG dual-clutch automatic transmission (DCT), which many reviewers found clunky, in favor of a new eight-speed automatic transmission. The 2025 Volkswagen Taos is available in FWD or AWD configurations, though the range-topping SEL trim is AWD-only.
Interior
The revised interior of the 2025 Taos kicks off with a new standard “floating” infotainment display rising up, tablet-style, out of the dash. The design of the crossover’s dashboard gets minor styling revisions that render it subtly sleeker and are perhaps most noticeable in the new layout of the climate controls: An array of rectangular buttons replaces the old chunky circular knobs.
Each trim gets a dedicated interior color scheme or set of options and its own materials. The Taos S comes with black and gray cloth, SE gets a choice of two-tone CloudTex fittings, SE Black gets all-black CloudTex, and SEL gets genuine leather. This last can be had in a black and gray combo or, for 2025, in a new dark blue color.
Technology
An 8-inch infotainment display is standard in the 2025 Taos. It adds capability with each trim level, starting with Bluetooth and wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity on the S trim, adding Sirius XM and voice control for SE, and throwing in navigation for the top SEL trim. Wireless smartphone projection and wireless charging become standard starting with the Taos SE. The Taos has made the move to USB-C only, with two ports standard and a third at the back of the center console starting on the SE trim.
Volkswagen’s Digital Cockpit is standard for 2025: This customizable driver-information display lives on an 8-inch screen in lower trims and a 10.25-inch version at the top end.
Safety
The 2025 Taos comes standard with Volkswagen’s IQ.Drive suite of advanced driver-assistance features, which means every trim gets Travel Assist, Front Assist, active blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, adaptive cruise control, and more. Front and rear Park Distance Control now comes standard starting at the SE trim level, as does the adaptive front lighting system, which VW terms “AFS”.
Pricing and Release Date
Pricing for the 2025 Volkswagen Taos is not available as of this writing. Volkswagen reps noted that that information will be released soon and confirmed that the 2025 Taos is expected to go on sale in the U.S. before 2024 comes to a close.