2025 Volkswagen Taos Up Close: Atlas Shrunked
Subcompact crossovers really are the new economy cars of today — especially since most of the economy cars seem to have disappeared as automakers chase profits and ever-escalating sticker prices. The 2025 Volkswagen Taos sits at the bottom of the VW SUV lineup in the U.S. and has filled its role admirably since its introduction. It’s simple, comfortable, surprisingly spacious and carries enough family resemblance to the rest of the brand’s lineup that there’s really no mistaking it for anything else. Those are all good things in our eyes, and the big update the Taos has been given for the 2025 model year only seems to make a good thing better. We took a closer look at it during the 2024 Los Angeles Auto Show.
Related: More 2024 L.A. Auto Show Coverage
Mini-Atlas Style
We’ve talked about the German automaker penchant for following the “one sausage, three sizes” ethos in the past: the idea that the styling on one vehicle can be scaled up or down to fit different classes, but the overall look remains close to one specific design. VW is following that idea with its SUV showroom in its latest round of redesigns. The big Atlas looks like a compact Tiguan looks like a subcompact Taos, but thankfully, the look is a good one — it looks slick. The Taos looks increasingly grown up, sophisticated and smart, outside and in.
The interior is where significant upgrades have been made. It features many of the same systems we’ve seen in the 2025 Jetta, and we don’t hate that. That’s actually a big statement because a significant number of these systems (like the climate controls) are now touch-sensitive panels with haptic feedback. While that’s usually a pretty quick route to my “losers” list at any auto show, having experienced the new climate controls on the road in the Jetta, I can confirm the setup actually works acceptably well. The fact that there’s a dedicated volume knob for the Taos’ multimedia screen and the steering wheel is not the touch-sensitive variety in the one I sat in also works in its favor.
It’s also still commendably spacious in the Taos even in the second row. The legroom and headroom is plentiful, and there’s a decent level of cargo space behind the second row, as well. It almost feels like stepping up to the larger, more expensive Tiguan just isn’t necessary, as the Taos is likely to fill most families’ bills just fine.
More Power Always Welcome
We’re also happy to hear that the Taos’ standard turbocharged 1.5-liter four-cylinder engine gets a power boost; it now puts out a more respectable 174 horsepower and 184 pounds-feet of torque and is mated to an eight-speed automatic transmission (no awful continuously variable automatics here). The last Taos was peppy, but this rework and retune of the powertrain should be enough to give it a little bit more zip.
From our initial encounter with the refreshed ‘25 Taos on the show floor, we think it’s been a solid upgrade to keep VW’s smallest, cheapest U.S.-market SUV in popular contention. A first drive of the new model, coming in the next few weeks, should hopefully confirm that.
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