The 2025 VW Taos gets a full makeover with new standard features, a redesigned interior, and better exterior looks. After some maintenance in the engine room, the 1.5-liter turbocharged four-cylinder Taos engine produced an extra 16 horsepower, bringing the total to 174 horsepower. Volkswagen will sell the updated Taos compact crossover before the end of the year. Prices will be released later. Volkswagen now knows what it can and cannot bring into the European Union. Instead of trying to force European ideals on the American people, the company is more focused on giving them what they want. That’s the case with the improved 2025 Taos subcompact SUV that was just released. Changes made to engines The 1.5-liter engine was improved by VW experts, who added a gas particle filter and a bigger intercooler. They also changed the turbocharger housing, fuel injectors, and piston rings. It makes an extra 16 horsepower, bringing the total to 174 horsepower. Changes to the torque curve may make acceleration better, but the 184 pound-feet of torque output stays the same. For example, it took the 158-hp Taos with front-wheel drive 7.4 seconds to reach 60 mph, but it only took 7.5 seconds for the 4Motion to do the same. Another change to the powertrain is that all-wheel-drive models will now have an eight-speed transmission, the same as front-drive models. Previously, AWD models had a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox. The transmission’s sometimes rough shifting seemed to turn off people who weren’t really into cars; some customers thought “their car is breaking,” according to Melinda Godec, the product manager. At the moment, only the Jetta GLI, Golf GTI, and Golf R have this change to their DSG on the American market. We don’t mind. What counts is what’s inside and outside? The Taos’s interior is no longer too dark, thanks to a light-colored panel on the bottom of the dashboard that separates the dark gray interior. The door panels are also different colors. They are made of soft-touch leatherette and have different stitch patterns based on the trim. All versions now come with a standard 8.0-inch tablet that floats in front of the redesigned dashboard instead of being fully built-in like it was before. The base model supports Apple CarPlay and Android Auto through cable connections. Higher trim levels add wireless phone mirroring and a few extra features, such as voice control and satellite radio. VW’s touch-sensitive climate control is now standard on SE and SEL models. The small SUV has new looks on the front and back, with a standard full-width light bar in the back and shorter headlamps linked by lighted trim on the top. The S now comes with standard LED projector headlights, and the SE models have adjustable lighting and parking sensors in the front and back. VW hasn’t released official fuel economy numbers for the updated Taos yet, but the company thinks they will be about the same as or better than cars made in 2024. The front-drive Taos got up to 40 mpg in our most recent highway test at 75 mph, which was four mpg better than the model’s highway fuel economy. The all-wheel-drive Taos got 33 mpg, which was one mpg more than what the sticker on the window said it would get. We had the chance to test drive the new Taos this week at Volkswagen’s yearly dealer convention. The inside isn’t boring anymore, and you can tell that the materials have gotten better. Bright Moss Green, the bright green color shown here, is also very appealing. The new Jetta and Jetta GLI both come in Monument Gray and Monterey Blue Pearl, which are different colors. Prices will be made public closer to the 2025 Taos’s late-year sale date. A brand-new, third-generation Tiguan is also planned for 2025. More information about the United States will be available at the Los Angeles car show in November.
