2022 Volkswagen Taos (VW) Review, Ratings, Specs, Prices, and Photos
What kind of vehicle is the 2022 Volkswagen Taos? What does it compare to?
The Taos is a five-seat crossover making its debut for the 2022 model year. It slots in below the plus-sized Tiguan but the two could be mistaken with VW’s conservative styling approach. The Taos offers a much more spacious interior than competitors such as the Ford Bronco Sport, Jeep Compass, Kia Seltos, and Mazda CX-30, among others.
Is the 2022 Volkswagen Taos a good vehicle?
Review continues below
With a spacious and well-packaged interior, the all-new 2022 Taos earns a TCC Rating of 6.2 out of 10, before safety is factored in. That puts it above several of its smaller competitors, but behind our best scoring compact SUVs such as the Ford Bronco Sport and Hyundai Tucson. (Read more about how we rate cars.)
What’s new for the 2022 Volkswagen Taos?
Since the Taos is new, everything. VW sells it in S, SE, and SEL trim levels with front-wheel drive standard and all-wheel drive optional on all grades.
Styling combines a mix of elements from VW’s other SUVs. It has a similar body shape to the Tiguan and shares its X-shaped grille with the Atlas Cross Sport. The Taos will be immediately recognizable as a VW thanks to its proportions and minimalist look down the sides. The interior is conservatively styled with extensive use of black plastics across the dashboard.
The Taos is priced in between subcompact and compact SUVs, but with passenger/cargo room that leans more towards compact. That gives it an advantage over competitors. Though it’s 9.3 inches shorter than the Tiguan, it still offers a surprising amount of room for backseat passengers with 37.9 inches of rear leg room. The same is true of cargo room, with up to 27.9 cubic feet of cargo volume behind the rear seat.
The Taos features a new 1.5-liter turbo-4 that will eventually replace the 1.4-liter turbo-4 currently found in the Jetta. It puts out 158-hp and 184 lb-ft of torque and is paired with an 8-speed automatic for FWD models, or a 7-speed dual-clutch automatic with AWD. The engine feels a bit sluggish, but the Taos has good ride quality and accurate steering that needs more weight. AWD models come with a multi-link rear suspension, which helps them to feel more agile and fun-to-drive. Fuel economy estimates are 31 combined mpg for the FWD Taos, and 28 combined mpg with AWD.
A 6.5-inch multimedia screen is standard on the S, while the SE and SEL jump up to an 8.0-inch touchscreen that also includes wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. To match this, a wireless charging pad is also standard along with the larger screen. That’s not the only screen found in the Taos: an 8.0-inch digital cockpit display is standard, and the SEL gets an even larger 10.3-inch display with far more customization options.
Standard safety features are sparse compared to other vehicles in this class. There are no active driver-assist features to be found on the S grade, though they can be added with a package. The SE has standard automatic emergency braking and adds blindspot monitors as well. Also available across three grades (with all features standard on the SEL) are adaptive cruise control that works down to a stop, active lane control, and emergency assist.
How much does the 2022 Volkswagen Taos cost?
The Taos S starts at $24,190 but the $28,440 SE trim would be our choice, with synthetic leather seats, a larger 8.0-inch touchscreen, wireless Android Auto/Apple CarPlay, and a wireless phone charger. Topping off the Taos lineup is the SEL, which starts at $32,685. Adding all-wheel drive costs between $2,045 and $1,450 depending on trim level.
Where is the 2022 Volkswagen Taos made?
The Taos is built at Volkswagen’s plant in Puebla, Mexico, alongside the Jetta and Tiguan.
