As a Volkswagen owner, I want to like the Taos. But I just haven’t. However with this refresh that was just announced, I have hope that the stars will align and the Taos will find favor in the our household. Let’s take a look at the five biggest things to know about the 2025 VW Taos.
Interior, exterior design changes
As you would expect with a refresh, there are design changes on the 2025 VW Taos. On the exterior, you’ll see a new grille and redesigned bumper. LED projector lights are now standard across the lineup, and the light bar that tops the grille (a la ID.4, Atlas and Atlas Cross Sport) is now an option.
Moving inside, the dash has new materials and colors, and the 8-inch infotainment screen is now standard across the lineup.
The 2025 VW Taos now has a standard 8-inch infotainment screen on all trims. (Photo courtesy of Volkswagen of America)
AWD ditches the DSG
Design is nice and all, but I think the biggest and best change is going to be the fact that all-wheel-drive models will now be equipped with an 8-speed automatic. The previous 7-speed DSG was a horrible transmission on the Taos, and it created a herky-jerky driving experience.Â
More horsepower
Though the engine isn’t new on the 2025 VW Taos, the 1.5-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder engine is updated. The engine gets new piston rings, fuel injectors, a modified turbo housing, larger intercoolers and a new gas particulate filter. The end result is an extra 16 horsepower, so this engine now delivers 174 horsepower.
2025 VW Taos arrives later this year
Though Volkswagen is vague on the timing, they have said it will be in U.S. dealers by the end of the year. Since the full specs haven’t been released yet, this probably means we’ll see it late November, early December.Â
The 2025 VW Taos will get three new colors: Bright Moss Green (pictured), Monterey Blue Pearl and Monument Gray. (Photo courtesy of Volkswagen of America)
No word on pricing
Since there’s still at least two months before the vehicle arrives, there’s still no word on pricing. VW says it will be announced closer to launch. With a horsepower bump and the refreshed design, we anticipate prices will increase at least $1k across the board. For reference, the current base front-wheel-drive S starts at $25,420, including the $1,425 destination fee. Going all-in on the top SEL trim currently costs $34,940. So, we expect 2025 pricing to range from just more than $26k to around $36k.
The bottom line
We’ve never quibbled with the styling of the Taos, but the driving dynamics with the AWD and DSG were not good. So, while we certainly look forward to the design upgrades, we can’t wait to drive the new 4Motion model with the 8-speed transmission.Â
2025 VW Taos Photo Gallery
