Spruced Up and Bolder: Updated 2025 Volkswagen Taos Priced From $26,420

Volkswagen spruced up its smallest SUV, the Taos, for the 2025 model year, with bolder front styling that includes a large grille mounted low, an available LED light bar across the nose and standard LED projector headlights. Out back, an illuminated VW logo on the liftgate is standard.

The 2025 Taos also gets a redesigned dash, and a thorough rework of the turbocharged 1.5-liter four-cylinder engine increases output more than 10% over the 2024 model’s. In exchange for the improvements, Volkswagen is asking an additional $1,000 for the 2025 model, which has a base price of $26,420 (all prices include $1,425 destination fee).

Related: 2025 Volkswagen Taos Packs More Power, Smoother Shifts

Powertrain Specs and MPG

New piston rings, fuel injectors and other tweaks to the engine raise output from 158 horsepower to 174; peak torque is unchanged, at 184 pounds-feet. All versions of the Taos, with front- or all-wheel drive, now have an eight-speed automatic transmission. Official 2025 fuel-economy estimates are not available yet, but the 2024 model was EPA-rated at 28/36/31 mpg city/highway/combined with FWD and 24/32/27 mpg with AWD.

Availability and Pricing

The 2025 Volkswagen Taos will go on sale later this year. Full line pricing is as follows; AWD costs $1,700 on every trim but the SEL, where it is standard.

• S: $26,420
• SE: $29,320
• SE Black: $31,570
• SEL: $36,120

Safety Features and Trim Levels

Volkswagen’s IQ.Drive safety suite is standard on every 2025 Taos. It includes Travel Assist, VW’s semi-autonomous driving tech that combines adaptive cruise control and lane-centering steering, as well as forward collision warning with pedestrian detection, automatic emergency braking, blind spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert and Emergency Assist, which can bring the vehicle to a stop in its lane if the driver becomes unresponsive.

Aside from its advanced safety tech, the base S trim level notably includes heated front seats, a rare bit of luxury for an entry-level model in this class. Other standard equipment includes 17-inch wheels (18s with AWD), LED headlights, keyless start, cloth upholstery, and an 8-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

The SE rides on 18-inch wheels regardless of the drivetrain and adds keyless entry, remote start, adaptive headlights that turn with the steering wheel, and front and rear parking sensors. Inside, it features two-tone upholstery in a mix of cloth and synthetic leather, a power-adjustable driver seat, wireless smartphone mirroring and wireless charging.

The SE Black is mostly what it sounds like, with a black roof, exterior trim, and wheels (18s with FWD and 19s with AWD). Helping to justify the pricing premium over the regular SE is a standard panoramic moonroof.

In addition to standard AWD, the range-topping SEL gets 19-inch wheels, an LED light bar across the front, ventilated leather seats, ambient lighting, a 10.25-inch digital instrument panel, and road-sign recognition.

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