VW Taos

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Primarily for the US market. The Taos will slot under the Tiguan. /

Volkswagen Taos

Volkswagen of America, Inc. unveiled the all-new 2022 Taos. The Volkswagen Taos will slot under the Tiguan, and is the second proof point of Volkswagen's doubling-up SUV strategy following the launch of Atlas Cross Sport in 2020. The vehicle is positioned in the largest U.S. vehicle segment, the compact SUV market, where 4 million vehicles were sold in 2019-around 24 percent of the market. The Taos is small in stature, but big on value, with bold design, smart packaging, and high-end features.

"Taos is our fifth new addition to the Volkswagen SUV family in just four years, and we're thrilled to keep finding new ways to meet the needs of American families," said Scott Keogh, CEO, Volkswagen Group of America. "Taos will bookend our compact SUV offering, giving buyers all the style, technology, and drivability that Volkswagen is known for at an even more affordable price."

The Volkswagen Taos is powered by a 1.5-liter version of the EA211 turbocharged four-cylinder engine that currently powers the Jetta sedan. Making 158 horsepower and 184 pound-feet of torque, the new engine offers a number of high-tech features designed to help produce outstanding fuel economy. The engine is mated to an eight-speed automatic transmission in the front-wheel-drive model, while models with 4Motion® all-wheel drive get a seven-speed DSG® dual-clutch automatic transmission.

There will be three trim levels: S, SE, and SEL. Volkswagen Taos will be produced in the North American Region at Volkswagen's Puebla, Mexico factory.

www.netcarshow.com

Volkswagen Taos (2022)

Nose to tail, Volkswagen Taos is 175.8 inches long-9.3 inches shy of Tiguan-with a wheelbase of 105.9 inches; it is 72.5 inches wide and 64.4 inches tall.
www.netcarshow.com

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The 2021 Volkswagen Taos Brings Nothing New To The Table

On Tuesday afternoon, VW took the covers off of its new sub-Tiguan compact crossover, the 2021 Volkswagen Taos, which is intended to compete with the Kia Seltos and Chevy Trailblazer and will likely get its ass handed to it in terms of units shifted by Toyota’s all-conquering Rav4. The Taos brings Volkswagen’s modular MQB platform into a slightly smaller segment vacated when the Tiguan grew into a bigger-sized three-row crossover a couple of years ago. It brings nothing new to the table, but will still somehow sell by the truckload.

Americans purchased four million compact crossovers in 2019, and VW wants in on that ridiculously easy action. By sticking the Tiguan in front of a Shrink-O-Matic ray to bring it down a size, the Taos is clearly an extension of the Volkswagen family of SUVs. It’s the fifth new SUV in Volkswagen’s lineup in just four years, and they pretty much all look exactly the same, but in different sizes. An Atlas is a big Tiguan, which is a big Taos. They all share the same platform, which is fine enough to drive, I suppose. But what does this do that a Golf didn’t?

This. This right here is what makes me so mad about this car. Just look at how Volkswagen describes the size difference between the Tiguan and the Taos. “Dimensionally, Taos sits at the middle of the entry compact SUV space, in contrast to the Tiguan, which sits at the top of the compact SUV space.” Oh. My. God. How many pieces do you need to cut this pie into?

To make matters even worse, the Taos didn’t do anything interesting with its drivetrain. For all of VW’s talk about electric being the future, the Taos doesn’t even offer a hybrid, let along a PHEV or BEV version. You don’t even get a choice of engine, as all Taos will receive the 1.5-liter turbo four found also found in the Jetta sedan which makes 158 horsepower and 184 lb-ft of torque. The front drive cars will get an 8-speed automatic and 4Motion models will receive a 7-speed DSG.

jalopnik.com

The 2021 Volkswagen Taos Brings Nothing New To The Table - Jalopnik

On Tuesday afternoon, VW took the covers off of its new sub-Tiguan compact crossover, the 2021 Volkswagen Taos, which is intended to compete with the Kia Seltos and Chevy Trailblazer. The Taos brings Volkswagen’s modular MQB platform into a slightly smaller segment vacated when the Tiguan grew...
jalopnik.com jalopnik.com
 
Hello, Taos! Volkswagen unwraps fresh crossover in North America

Volkswagen has revealed yet another crossover, with the new Taos slotting in below North America's long-wheelbase Tiguan.

So, exactly how big is the newcomer? Well, the Taos measures 4 465 mm nose to tail, with some 2 690 mm of space between its axles. Interestingly, that makes it only slightly shorter than the Tiguan we know here in South Africa (4 486 mm long), although it’s worth noting the United States receives the long-wheelbase Tiguan Allspace (4 701 mm long) as standard.

In terms of exterior design, the new model clearly draws inspiration from the Atlas Cross Sport offered in North America, with the top-spec variants feaurting LED headlamps and an illuminated line stretching outward from the grille's logo.

In the US, the Taos will be available in eight exterior colours, with four alloy wheel designs measuring from 17 to 19 inches in diameter. A panoramic sunroof will be offered as an option. Inside, you’ll find VW’s centrally sited touchscreen, a digital instrument cluster and two-tone seats.

www.carmag.co.za

Hello, Taos! Volkswagen unwraps fresh crossover in North America…

Volkswagen has revealed yet another crossover, with the new Taos slotting in below North America's long-wheelbase Tiguan.
www.carmag.co.za www.carmag.co.za
 
The 2022 Volkswagen Taos Is The Next Instantly Forgettable Compact SUV

There is a new Volkswagen, and I’m not talking about the ID.4, though that is also a new Volkswagen. Funny enough for a company that pretended to change its name to Voltswagen for a day (seriously, what the hell was that? Someone please get Volkswagen the vax), this week VW is touting the Taos’s fuel mileage.

That is probably because, and I can’t emphasize this enough, there is nothing interesting about the Taos. The Taos is a Chevy Trailblazer and Kia Seltos and Mazda CX-30 competitor that exists solely so Volkswagen can get a slice of a market segment (compact SUVs in the U.S.) that moves four million vehicles a year.

The Taos is powered by an inline-four that makes 158 horsepower, with no electrified version. VW said Tuesday that it gets an EPA-estimated 31 miles per gallon combined, including 28 mpg in the city and 36 mpg on the highway, which it says is “tied for best in class.” The Taos goes on sale in June and starts at $22,995 for the front-wheel drive version, and $24,445 for the all-wheel drive version, and even VW isn’t putting much heart into its pitch.

jalopnik.com

The 2022 Volkswagen Taos Is The Next Instantly Forgettable Compact SUV - Jalopnik

There is a new Volkswagen, and I’m not talking about the ID.4, though that is also a new Volkswagen. Funny enough for a company that pretended to change its name to Voltswagen for a day (seriously, what the hell was that? Someone please get Volkswagen the vax), this week VW is touting the Taos’s...
jalopnik.com jalopnik.com

VW.JPG
 
The 2022 Volkswagen Taos Is Coming To A Driveway Near You

Infotainment is handled by a standard 6.5-inch display or an 8-inch optional display with available Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The Taos system is one of the more confusing ones I’ve used. While I love the fact that the marque maintained a physical volume knob, the menus of the system are hard to navigate. Certain settings aren’t where you expect them to be, leading you to either sit there trying to find what menu a setting is in or just giving up.

But once you do find the settings you want and get the music playing, the audio output sounds good. Music gets pumped out through an eight-speaker BeatsAudio system.

Overall, I enjoyed my short amount of time with the pair of Taos. The SUV is solid and while it doesn’t stand out in the crowd, driving it is an enjoyable experience. I expect to see a bunch of these on the road soon.

Volkswagen’s aiming for the Crosstrek and Compass isn’t a mistake, either. The automaker says that the Taos can do some light off-roading like its competition and it will also offer accessories to make the Taos a bit better at the task. I’d love to see how these perform in the dirt. Unfortunately, I didn’t get to test how well the Taos wheels.

jalopnik.com

The 2022 Volkswagen Taos Is Coming To A Driveway Near You - Jalopnik

Fans of the Volkswagen Golf were saddened to hear that the automaker is no longer selling non-performance models of the hatchback in the United States. Volkswagen is filling the void left behind with the 2022 Taos. This little SUV is about to show up in driveways around the country.
jalopnik.com jalopnik.com

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Volkswagen Is Turning To 1970s-Style Body Kit Packages To Make Its CUVs Look Tougher - Jalopnik​

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(VW Taos 'Basecamp' concept)

On Tuesday evening Volkswagen rolled out a new bodykit for its thoroughly uninteresting Taos crossover intended to make it look more off-roady without actually making it more off-roady.

Where the Taos Basecamp concept was actually kind of cool, the production version is basically a set of stick-on black plastic cladding (with integrated splash guards), fancy rocker covers, and a grille badge. We’ve seen stuff like this before. In the 1970s.

At the height of the 1970s malaise, automakers were incapable of figuring out a way to deliver performance and economy at the same time, and as a result some of the most ridiculous cars of all time were delivered to customers with a straight face.

In 1978 Dodge and Plymouth offered NASCAR-aping body kits for their Aspen and Volare coupes. The kits consisted of a front lip, an adjustable rear spoiler, tack-on fender flares for all four wheels, quarter window louvers, and faux hood pins.
Click to expand...

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(Dodge Aspen /Plymouth Volare)

Because the companies couldn’t deliver actual performance in any meaningful way, Mopar just offered the facsimile of performance. At the end of the day, none of the stuff tacked on to the car improved performance, it just looked sorta neat.

I guess the front and rear aero might have added a smidge of downforce, but with just 175 horsepower, who knows what good that might have done. It definitely made the car slower overall.
Click to expand...

Volkswagen now, like Mopar then, doesn’t care about actually delivering on the promises of the body kits tacked on to their car.

The Taos Basecamp package is nothing more than a visual package, and if I’m honest, it doesn’t even look better.

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The promise of the Basecamp concept with raised suspension and beefy off-roady wheels and tires, has not been delivered on with the version you can buy at your VW dealer now.

“The Taos makes a bold first impression,” said Hein Schafer, Senior Vice President of Product Marketing and Strategy at Volkswagen of America. “Our goal is to build on the vehicle’s dynamic exterior design and provide customers with an extensive catalogue of accessory options that cater directly to their desires for distinctive styling and functionality.”
Click to expand...
Cladding. He’s talking about cladding. That’s it.

The rocker covers and fender flares will run you $999 as installed by your local VW dealer, and you can get all of the parts independently of the package, but the grille badge only comes with the full kit. You gotta get the grille badge, obviously. Otherwise how will people know you’re a wannabe off-roader?

I’m not sure if this is indicative of a second wave of internal combustion malaise, but whatever the Taos Basecamp is a harbinger for, it can’t be good.

If you’re going to build a package called Basecamp, at least give it some kind of performance advantage. At the very least make it a wheel and tire package with a taller sidewall and more aggressive tread pattern. Sheesh.
Click to expand...

jalopnik.com

Volkswagen Is Turning To 1970s-Style Body Kit Packages To Make Its CUVs Look Tougher - Jalopnik

On Tuesday evening Volkswagen rolled out a new bodykit for its thoroughly uninteresting Taos crossover intended to make it look more off-roady without actually making it more off-roady. Where the Taos Basecamp concept was actually kind of cool, the production version is basically a set of...
jalopnik.com jalopnik.com
 
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The 2022 VW Taos Is Like Market Research In Vehicular Form

Conclusion

There’s nothing wrong with the Taos. Or the Tiguan, for that matter. They’re fine, they’re both just fine, and chances are if you buy one you’ll be plenty happy with what you ended up with.

They’re roomy, they have all of the basic features people want, they’re pretty good-looking, and they’re reasonably priced, for what you get.

The Taos I tested was about $31,500; I think this is a car that makes more sense in its lower-spec versions, which start under $23,000. Unless you need to carry around seven passengers, I don’t really think the jump to the Tiguan makes all that much sense.

The Taos is a difficult car to really give a **** about, like almost everything in this category. It’s like that nice-looking friend of yours from college who has a good job and family life and seems to be doing everything generally right, but he’s just too damn dull to actually make you want to hang out with him.

When you encounter him somewhere, sure, you have a fine time, and if you ever needed something you can be sure he’d be there for you, but you’d be damned if you could come up with one interesting thing about the dude.

Volkswagen will sell plenty of these, and I bet most buyers will be pleased with what they got. If that’s you, fantastic, wonderful, I hope you use it with delight for years.

jalopnik.com

The 2022 VW Taos Is Like Market Research In Vehicular Form - Jalopnik

I guess I may as well get this out of the way right up front: it wasn’t easy for me to be interested in the Volkswagen Taos. That’s not because there was anything wrong with it, quite the opposite, really. It’s that you don’t really pay attention to things that just work, like fire hydrants or...
jalopnik.com jalopnik.com

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Volkswagen Halts Sales On Taos 4Motion Because Its Engine May Stop Unexpectedly: Report

Volkswagen pumps the brakes on some of its new crossovers, for now.

Volkswagen’s new Taos small crossover is encountering a bump in the road. The marque is ordering a stop-sale on all-wheel-drive models as their engines may shut down unexpectedly while coming to a stop.

The Volkswagen Taos packs what crossover drivers crave into a compact, inexpensive package. Buyers looking for their Taos in 4Motion AWD flavor will have to wait a bit. Volkswagen is instructing dealerships to stop selling the crossovers until it addresses concerns with the engine shutting down, reports Automotive news.

Some Taos buyers and owners on forums were initially confused as dealerships are refusing to sell Taos SUVs with 4Motion AWD. But there may be an issue with some of these cars and Volkswagen wants to get to the bottom of it.

According to the letters being distributed to dealerships, customers of some Taos with 4Motion AWD are reporting that their engines are shutting down unexpectedly when coming to a stop.

jalopnik.com

Volkswagen Halts Sales On Taos 4Motion Because Its Engine May Stop Unexpectedly: Report - Jalopnik

Volkswagen’s new Taos small crossover is encountering a bump in the road. The marque is ordering a stop-sale on all-wheel-drive models as their engines may shut down unexpectedly while coming to a stop.
jalopnik.com jalopnik.com
 
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