2025 Volkswagen Taos First Drive Review: Fitter, Happier

Fitness for purpose. That is the focus for the 2025 Volkswagen Taos.

The German brand’s littlest SUV was already a big deal even before this facelift. After launching in 2021, it quickly became a cornerstone of the brand’s lineup. Taos sales are near those of the larger Atlas in America, while it’s now the best-selling Volkswagen in Canada.

This facelift thus has to walk a fine line: seem substantial, but don’t mess with success. Thankfully—at least based on our initial impressions here in San Antonio—the ‘25 Taos does just that, improving the driving experience along with a general freshening up.

There’s new sheetmetal front and back, with the requisite headlight changes alongside them. Nothing too dramatic, just tweaks to put the Taos more in-line with the latest family cues from Atlas and the ID lineup.

Under the skin, Volkswagen has ditched the dual-clutch transmission of the all-wheel drive models (4Motion in VW-speak), making the traditional eight-speed automatic transmission the only choice. It still hooks up to the 1.5-liter turbo-four that debuted in the Taos, though that’s up 16 horsepower for a total of 174 hp.

A refresh inside brings a bigger standard infotainment screen, now 8.0 inches across all trims. VW has introduced more soft-touch materials, as well as a dark blue leather seating option for the SEL trim (known as the Highline in Canada).

Prefacing this with the usual “style is subjective” disclaimer: I’m not sold on the Taos facelift. The original model was hardly groundbreaking, but it did that quietly handsome thing that VW basically set the bar for back in the early ‘00s. This new one, with its pinched LED projector headlights and protruding-jaw lower intake, is fussier. There are clear ID influences all around here, including the light bar out back with its light-up logo. No complaints about the hero Bright Moss Green paint, mind you. New wheel designs round out the exterior changes.

A 10-percent power increase puts the Taos firmly in the middle of the pack these days. The increase comes by way of new piston rings, a larger intercooler, and revised injectors. Truth be told, you’re unlikely to notice a massive change in how quickly it accelerates however, as torque stays put at a chunky 184 pound-feet.

How the SUV accelerates is different now though, at least for the 4Motion model. The eight-speed auto is much better at sauntering along in stop-and-go traffic, a fact highlighted by the early-afternoon highway traffic we encounter on the end of the drive. Gone is the hesitation and jerkiness of the DSG; in its place are flawless manners. The eight-speed gives the Taos a more reserved feel than the CVTs found in many of its rivals too.

The Taos handles the daily grind well enough. It isn’t the quickest in the class, but it will get up too highway speeds without fuss, the eight-speed wringing out every gear.

Fuel economy is slightly up for the 4Motion models too, now hitting 28 mpg combined (8.4 L/100 km).

The grown-up feel permeates the Taos’ cabin, a bright and airy space even with that new dark blue leather option. Through winding back roads and across expansion joints on the highway, the ride is well-damped even on the 19-inch alloys.

The other thing that permeates the cabin? Road noise. It’s more noticeable than my drive partner and I expect, though without a pre-facelift available for a back-to-back, it’s tough to tell if that’s a real issue.

Seat comfort is good, with a natural driving position that avoids the on-a-stool feeling of the Seltos. The Taos’ back row and cargo space remain some of the best in class, the former improved by the large panoramic roof.

In America, the base price of the Taos is up a grand, starting at $26,420 including destination. The good news is that the volume-seller SE trim, which adds adaptive front lighting, dual-zone auto climate controls, and other goodies is slightly cheaper than before at $29,320. All-wheel drive is another $1,700. The loaded SEL is is only available with 4Motion, ringing in at $36,120.

Canadian pricing tells a similar tale. The base price moves up a bit, but is the only front-driver in the Great White North. (4Motion accounts for over 95-percent of sales in Canada.) The top Highline 4Motion tallies up to $41,095 CAD including destination.

When we did our massive SUV comparison early this year, the 2024 Taos finished just outside the podium in a respectable fourth place. Yet when we talked about which we’d want to live with, both Mike Schlee and I considered the VW because of its all-rounder capabilities. With the better transmission, improved tech, and steady pricing, the Taos has inched ever closer to class leader status.

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