The Volkswagen Taos is a subcompact crossover that marks the most accessible point in the brand’s SUV lineup. Competitors include the Mazda CX-30, the Honda HR-V, and the Subaru Crosstrek.
2026 Volkswagen Taos Pricing, Specs, and Release Date
- What’s New for the 2026 Volkswagen Taos
- Design
- Powertrain
- Interior
- Technology
- Safety
- Pricing and Release Date
- Further Research
What’s New for the 2026 Volkswagen Taos
The Volkswagen Taos subcompact SUV was refreshed for the 2025 model year and carries over unchanged into 2026. Having been introduced for the 2022 model year, the Taos needed little in the way of updates, even though the segment is super competitive and continuously evolving. The Taos isn’t the most affordable or efficient model in its class, but it does offer a more premium and a sportier feel than many rivals.
Design
The Taos is a subcompact crossover that mimics the look of Volkswagen’s bigger SUVs, with crisp body lines, upscale alloy wheel options, and thin LED light bars that evoke the modern vibe of an EV. Among the VW SUV lineup, the Taos is very much a younger sibling trying to be cool, but it largely works, and the youthful earnestness is endearing.
Powertrain
VW equips the Taos with a 1.5-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine rated at 174 horsepower and 184 pound-feet of torque, sending power to the front or all four wheels via an eight-speed automatic transmission. It is arguably underpowered, but once it’s up to speed, the transmission handles shifting duties better than a continuously variable automatic (CVT), so the Taos is smoother than many of its contemporaries. It also has good steering feedback and a suspension system that stays planted without compromising comfort. With front-wheel drive (FWD), the Taos is rated for 31 mpg combined; that drops to 28 mpg when it's equipped with Volkswagen's 4MOTION all-wheel-drive (AWD) system.
Interior
The Taos seats five across its two rows. IIt comes standard with cloth-trimmed, firmly bolstered seats, while leather dresses the top trim. Other options include a heated steering wheel and heated front seats. Passenger space is on par with other subcompact crossovers, though the Taos carves out above-average cargo space for the class. With FWD, it can hold 27.9 cubic feet of gear behind the rear liftgate, which opens up to a maximum of 65.9 cubic feet with the second row folded down. With AWD, the Taos sacrifices about 5.7 cubic feet of maximum cargo capacity.
Technology
The Taos falls a little short of other small SUVs in terms of technology, particularly given that every trim gets the same 8-inch touchscreen with no larger display available. The base S also gets an 8-inch digital information display and wired Android Auto and Apple CarPlay; buyers should consider upgrading to the mid-tier SE for a 10.25-inch configurable digital display and wireless phone integration. Despite its shortcomings, VW’s infotainment interface is intuitive and easy to use.
