Volkswagen recently expanded its crossover lineup in the US with the introduction of the Atlas Cross Sport and now it’s added another crossover, the 2022 Taos. The Taos is a new entry-level crossover that slots in below the Tiguan in the lineup.
It’s easy to see that the Taos is a VW, since it borrows many styling cues from the new Tiguan and the larger Atlas. it’s based on the brand’s MQB architecture and it measures 175.8 inches long, 64.4 inches tall and 72.5 inches wide. Compared to the Tiguan, the Taos is over 9 inches shorter.
Inside the interior again borrows styling cues from other VW models, like the Jetta. A 6.5-inch touchscreen is standard on the Taos S model, but the SE and SEL trim levels get an 8-inch infotainment system. In front of the driver there’s either an 8- or 10.25-inch digital instrument panel.
Under the hood the Taos is powered by an evolution of the Jetta’s 1.4-liter engine, which has been enlarged to 1.5-liters. The turbocharged engine generates 158 horsepower and 184 pound-feet of torque and is mated to eight-speed automatic transmission if you go with the front-wheel drive version. If you select the 4Motion all-wheel drive system, the engine is mated to a seven speed dual-clutch automatic.
The front-wheel drive Taos gets a torsion beam at the rear, while the all-wheel drive version gets a better multi-link rear suspension.
The 2022 Volkswagen Taos will arrive in the summer of 2021 and will be available in three trim levels: S, SE and SEL.
