The road surface here in the heart of Texas may appear dark and freshly paved, but, in truth, it鈥檚 actually a lot more pockmarked than it looks from the driver鈥檚 seat. There are some proper stomach-fluttering drops sprinkled within the road鈥檚 undulations, which can upset a car鈥檚 balance 鈥 but not right now. Today, the 2025 Volkswagen Taos I鈥檓 driving has turned out to be the perfect partner for these roads.
For 鈥25, the Taos is not all-new, but, according to the manufacturer, it has been 鈥渉eavily refreshed.鈥 What that means in practice is new styling, new detailing, more features at base and a concerted effort to address concerns that current Taos owners have expressed to VW. The manufacturer was candid about all this. They showed a slide that expressed just what owners felt needed to change: they wanted to be rid of the old dual-clutch automatic gearbox; they wanted better use of materials inside and they wanted more features. Now, that last one is probably the most obvious of the three 鈥 after all, who doesn鈥檛 want more bang for their buck? 鈥 but VW has nevertheless answered the bell in that regard by offering an eight-inch infotainment display as standard, as well as what VW calls 鈥淚Q. Drive.鈥
IQ. Drive is a suite of safety features that includes features such as adaptive cruise control, lane-keep assist, front-collision assist and rear-cross traffic alert. You have to upgrade to Comfortline trim ($35,295) 鈥 that鈥檚 one above base Trendline ($29,795 FWD, $31,795 AWD) 鈥 for audible forward parking warnings, but otherwise it鈥檚 a very comprehensive suite of safety features. The added features mean an average price increase of $1,500 across all four trims from 鈥24 to ‘25.
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Dual-zone climate control and heated front seats are also standard for 鈥25, and they鈥檝e changed the climate control themselves from a selection of buttons and knobs to a single touch panel. Which, I have to say, I鈥檓 not a huge fan of, even if VW is steadfast in its claim that鈥檚 what buyers want. Traditional buttons and knobs are just so much easier to operate while on the move, especially when wearing gloves. There are more soft-touch materials on the doors and dashboard, replacing the overuse of hard plastics from years鈥 past. You can also have the optional leather interior finished in a new black/blue colour combo, which I rather like.
For space, there is no change from last year鈥檚 model, and that鈥檚 a very good thing because, since its inception 2022, it鈥檚 had some of the best interior space for passengers and cargo in the segment. Even though it looks less boxy than it did before, that hasn鈥檛 translated to any space lost inside. Styling additions for 鈥25 include new wheel choices, three new exterior colours 鈥 Sorento Green, Alpine Grey and Monterey Blue 鈥 new headlight shapes (as well as optional adaptive headlights that swivel when you turn the wheel) and a full-width tail light with an illuminated VW emblem at its centre. It鈥檚 a fine-looking vehicle.
Power comes from a 1.5-litre, turbocharged, four-cylinder engine that makes 174 horsepower and 184 pounds-feet of torque. That鈥檚 a 16-hp jump over last year鈥檚 model, and it鈥檚 channelled to the wheels via an eight-speed automatic gearbox; the dual clutch item from last year is no more.
The difference can be felt immediately. The Taos鈥 acceleration is so much more linear than it was before; there are very few peaks in the power delivery, just a nice, smooth curve as soon as you tip in to the throttle and let the auto do its thing. Don鈥檛 think you鈥檒l be exploding off the line like a sports car or fast hatchback, but this powertrain鈥檚 competency is such that your everyday manoeuvres, such as high-speed passes and highway entries, can be accomplished with little drama. This is not really a 鈥済et me excited car鈥; it鈥檚 more of a 鈥済et me there with as little drama as possible鈥 car and its engine and transmission are well-suited for the task.
The chassis and steering are the real stars here. The smooth ride is complimented by responsive steering that gives the impression of driving a car more than a crossover. Given the Taos鈥 duty to replace the dearly departed Golf as an entry-level family hauler in the VW lineup, things like the steering and ride need to come sharply into focus. With this 2025 model, they do just that.
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