2022 Volkswagen Taos specs, features and photos revealed
Volkswagen is growing its crossover lineup with the compact 2021 VW Taos. While it is instantaneously recognizable as a Volkswagen with a lot of styling cues shared with the Tiguan and Atlas Grand Sport, the Taos will get VW’s new horizontal LED lights strip throughout its grille on the assortment-topping SEL (see the ID.four) moreover a variety of pseudo rugged styling thrives on just about every trim. These incorporate black plastic decrease cladding and fender flares, raised roof rails, and alloy trim on the entrance and rear bumpers that mimic skid plates. Aside from serving as an noticeable stage of change with the far more regular, spouse and children-pleasant Tiguan, this far more rugged search is the telltale indicator that the Taos was designed exclusively for the North American market where by outdoorsy-themed products like the Subaru Crosstrek and Toyota RAV4 Experience are booming.
Volkswagen’s versatile MQB architecture underpins the Taos, which stretches a hundred seventy five.eight inches from close to close, 72.five inches extensive, and sixty four.four inches tall. For context, it’s about 9.three inches shorter than a Tiguan, and only a couple inches for a longer time than the rising listing of “in-betweener” crossovers that bridge the hole between subcompact and compact options. These incorporate the Kia Seltos, Chevy Trailblazer and Jeep Compass. Its cargo potential is consistent with individuals, much too, as there is 28.1 cubic toes with five grown ups on board and 66.three cubes with the second-row seats folded flat. Again seat legroom is 37.9 inches.
From the driver seat, horizontal traces on the dashboard emphasize the crossover’s width, and the standard layout seems acquainted if you have found the most modern Volkswagen Jetta. A 6.five-inch touchscreen is common on the foundation Taos S, while the SE SEL get an eight-inch unit operating Volkswagen’s most recent MIB3 infotainment process. Each Taos also will get an all-digital instrument panel measuring both a common eight inches or 10.twenty five inches on the assortment-topping SEL.
Other common options incorporate two-tone fabric upholstery, automated headlights, and a press-button ignition. An in-car Wi-Fi connection is included, much too, though being linked on-the-go necessitates a facts prepare. Motorists in a position to shell out far more can unlock options like leather-based upholstery, heated and ventilated entrance seats, rain-sensing wipers, a navigation process, moreover a wireless unit charger.
Volkswagen notes that the Taos is “obtainable” with the IQ.Travel package deal of digital driving aids, together with ahead collision warning, automated unexpected emergency braking, lane-retaining help, blind-location warning, and adaptive cruise manage with end-and-go ability. Of system, “obtainable” means that individuals options are optional, while most rivals at least incorporate ahead collision warning and automated braking as common gear.
As we’ve already noted, the Taos makes use of a gas-sipping evolution of the Jetta’s 1.four-liter turbocharged engine. Enlarged to 1.five liters and modified to operate a modified Miller cycle, the new 4-cylinder makes 158 horsepower and 184 pound-toes of torque. It spins the entrance wheels via an eight-velocity automatic transmission in its common configuration, while the optional 4Motion all-wheel-travel process provides with it a seven-velocity twin-clutch automated as perfectly as a far more advanced multi-backlink rear suspension. The entrance-travel Taos has a torsion beam at the back.
Regardless of the rugged search, the Taos shouldn’t be regarded as for something but the lightest of off-highway responsibility. Volkswagen failed to specify floor clearance, but it will not search primarily lofty. The enterprise did suggest, however, that it is still considering a far more able trim stage together the traces of the Toyota RAV4 Experience or Jeep’s Trailhawk trims.
Developed in Puebla, Mexico, together with the Jetta and Tiguan, the 2022 Volkswagen Taos will arrive in showrooms in the summertime of 2021. Prospective buyers will at first have a few trim concentrations named S, SE, and SEL, respectively, to pick out from. Pricing information will be declared closer to the crossover’s on-sale day, but Volkswagen indicated through a presentation to journalists Friday that we can count on it to start around $three,000 a lot less than the Tiguan, give or take a handful of hundred pounds. That would set the beginning value around $22,000, and thus inline with the Kia Seltos, Subaru Crosstrek and Jeep Compass.
As for the identify, the Taos follows the Tiguan and discontinued Touareg as Volkswagen crossovers with T names that are hard to pronounce (Atlas is the non-T outlier). Even though the Touareg was named just after a nomadic North African people today and Tiguan is the mixture of the text “tiger” and “iguana” (critically, that isn’t really a joke), the identify Taos is borrowed from a picturesque modest town in northern New Mexico and is pronounced like “house.”
Ronan Glon and James Riswick contributed to this report.
