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Volkswagen Taos
Car and Driver says the removal of the standard Golf from Volkswagen's lineup still stings, but the Taos takes some of that sting out, not as fun to drive as the dearly departed hatchback but just as versatile, with an airy cabin of rich materials arranged in a sophisticated, archetypically German way, a 174-hp turbocharged four-cylinder that feels planted if a bit uninspired, and generous trunk space, though its real problem is its beefed-up brother, the Volkswagen Tiguan, which is larger and handles better while only slightly more expensive, ranking #4 in Best Subcompact SUVs. MotorTrend rates the Taos 8.3/10, saying Volkswagen's smallest SUV impresses with a comfortable interior and plenty of standard safety tech, with recent updates improving power delivery and features-per-dollar value, though performance and off-road capability are modest, and in a segment filled with stronger competitors including the Hyundai Kona, Honda HR-V, and Toyota Corolla Cross, the Taos feels average in too many key areas, serviceable but increasingly easy to overlook.
A Golf substitute, undercut by its own Tiguan
Car and Driver (opens in a new tab) says the removal of the standard Golf still stings, but the Taos takes some of that sting out, not as fun to drive as the dearly departed hatchback but just as versatile, with an airy cabin of rich materials arranged in a sophisticated, archetypically German way, though its real problem is its beefed-up brother, the Volkswagen Tiguan, which is larger and handles better while only slightly more expensive.
Comfortable and safe, but increasingly overlooked
MotorTrend (opens in a new tab) rates the Taos 8.3/10, saying it impresses with a comfortable interior and plenty of standard safety tech, though in a segment filled with stronger competitors including the Hyundai Kona, Honda HR-V, and Toyota Corolla Cross, it feels average in too many key areas, serviceable but increasingly easy to overlook.
Modest performance and off-road ability
MotorTrend (opens in a new tab) says performance and off-road capability are modest, with the Taos trailing rivals in acceleration and off-road prowess, though handling is agreeable.
Questions buyers ask
How much horsepower does the Volkswagen Taos have?
Car and Driver (opens in a new tab) says 174 hp from its turbocharged four-cylinder.
Should I get a Volkswagen Taos or Tiguan?
Car and Driver (opens in a new tab) says the Tiguan is larger and handles better for only slightly more money.
Research map
Every major decision path.
The 2027 Volkswagen Taos is built around 1.5L turbo four-cylinder, rated at 174 horsepower across its compact SUV body style.
Explore this topic →02Trims and equipmentThe 2027 U.S. lineup has 5 trims.
Explore this topic →03Towing and capabilityThe 2027 Taos seats 5 and is a Compact SUV.
Explore this topic →04Safety and ownershipNHTSA recalls, complaints and crash ratings for the 2027 Taos.
Explore this topic →Current model year
2027 Volkswagen Taos
Every Taos trim shares the same 174-horsepower turbo four; SEL is the only trim with standard 4MOTION AWD, while S/SE/SE Black/Sport offer it as an option. MY2027 adds a new Sport trim (5 total) and upgrades base-trim tech; exterior design is otherwise unchanged.
Read specifications, trims, answers and sourcesModel-year archive
3 indexed Volkswagen Taos model years.
| Model year | Trims | Open record |
|---|---|---|
| 2027 Volkswagen Taos | 2027 record → | |
| 2026 Volkswagen Taos | 2026 record → | |
| 2025 Volkswagen Taos | 2025 record → |
Background and safety record
What public sources say about the Volkswagen Taos.
The Volkswagen Taos is a subcompact crossover SUV marketed by Volkswagen. It was first released in October 2018 as the Volkswagen Tharu in China, while the Taos was released in October 2020 as a restyled version of the Tharu for the North American, South American, and Russian markets. As of 2025, for the South American and Chinese markets the vehicle is positioned between the T-Cross and the Tiguan in Volkswagen's crossover SUV lineup.
- Powertrain
- The Tharu was presented as a near production model called the 'Powerful Family SUV' in March 2018. Built by SAIC Volkswagen, the vehicle became available in China in late October 2018. The vehicle was assembled in three locations, including in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region in the city of Ürümqi.
Source: Volkswagen Taos (Wikipedia); safety and recall figures from NHTSA.
Volkswagen Taos at a glance
- Production
- 2018–present (China), October 2020 – present (Americas), 2021–2022 (Russia), 2021–2025 (Argentina)
- Model years
- 2022–present
- Class
- Subcompact crossover SUV (B)
- Body style
- 5-door SUV
- Layout
- Front-engine, front-wheel-drive, Front-engine, all-wheel-drive
- Platform
- Volkswagen Group MQB A1
- Battery
- 44.1 kWh (e-Tharu)
- Electric range
- 1 km (e-Tharu, NEDC)
- Transmission
- 5-speed manual, 6-speed manual, 6-speed automatic, 8-speed automatic, 7-speed DSG
- Wheelbase
- 105.9 in, 2680 mm (China), 2638 mm (Russia)
- Length
- 175.8 in, 4453 mm (China), 4417 mm (Russia)
- Width
- 1841 mm
- Height
- 1 mm
- Related models
- SEAT Ateca, Škoda Karoq, Jetta VS5
- Designer
- Klaus Bischoff and Johannes Brandsch (Tharu)
- Also called
- Volkswagen Tharu
NHTSA rated the 2025 Volkswagen Taos overall 4 of 5 stars, front crash 4 of 5 stars, side crash 5 of 5 stars, rollover 4 of 5 stars.
Recent recalls (2 campaigns across the latest model years)
- April 2026, Fuel System, Gasoline:Delivery:Pressure Sensor. Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2025-2026 Taos vehicles. In the event of a rear-end crash, the fuel pressure sensor may dislodge or separate from the fuel tank. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of… Consequence: A fuel tank with a dislodged or separated fuel pressure sensor can leak fuel after a rollover crash, increasing the risk of a fire.
- March 2026, Electrical System: Instrument Cluster/Panel. Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2025 Jetta and Taos vehicles. The instrument panel may fail to display warning lights or gauges. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number… Consequence: An instrument panel that does not display critical safety information, such as the speedometer or warning lights, can increase the risk of a crash.
Owners filed 11 complaints with NHTSA for the 2025 Volkswagen Taos, most often about electrical system (5), forward collision avoidance (3), engine (3).
Year by year
The Volkswagen Taos across 6 model years.
| Model year | Combined MPG/MPGe | EPA annual fuel cost | EPA records | NHTSA recalls | NHTSA complaints | NHTSA overall rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2027 Volkswagen Taos | 28–30 | $2,150–$2,300 | 2 | |||
| 2026 Volkswagen Taos | 28–31 | $2,000–$2,250 | 2 | 1 | 4 stars | |
| 2025 Volkswagen Taos | 28–31 | $2,000–$2,250 | 2 | 2 | 9 | 4 stars |
| 2024 Volkswagen Taos | 27–31 | $2,000–$2,300 | 2 | 51 | 4 stars | |
| 2023 Volkswagen Taos | 28–31 | $2,000–$2,250 | 2 | 102 | 4 stars | |
| 2022 Volkswagen Taos | 28–31 | $2,000–$2,250 | 2 | 6 | 310 | 4 stars |
Year-to-year changes
What changed in the Volkswagen Taos, one model year at a time.
| Step | Combined MPG/MPGe, midpoint | Added | No longer listed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 to 2027 | 29.5 to 29.0 | ||
| 2025 to 2026 | Drives: 4-Wheel Drive | Drives: All-Wheel Drive | |
| 2024 to 2025 | 29.0 to 29.5 | Transmissions: Automatic (AM-S7) | |
| 2023 to 2024 | 29.5 to 29.0 | ||
| 2022 to 2023 | Transmissions: Automatic (AM-S7), Automatic (S8) | Transmissions: Automatic 7-spd, Automatic 8-spd |
Buying used
What the Volkswagen Taos recalls and complaints are about.
| Model year | Campaigns | Systems recalled | Warnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 1 | fuel system, gasoline (delivery) | None |
| 2025 | 2 | electrical system (instrument cluster/panel); fuel system, gasoline (delivery) | None |
| 2022 | 6 | engine and engine cooling; fuel system, gasoline (delivery); suspension; 1 more | None |
| System | Complaints | Share of all complaints | Worst model year |
|---|---|---|---|
| engine | 197 | 41% | 2022 (143) |
| service brakes | 115 | 24% | 2022 (63) |
| electrical system | 94 | 19% | 2022 (59) |
| unknown or other | 71 | 15% | 2022 (45) |
| fuel/propulsion system | 69 | 14% | 2022 (52) |
| power train | 64 | 13% | 2022 (49) |
Trim by trim
Every 2026 Volkswagen Taos trim side by side.
| Trim | Drive | Engine | Horsepower | Torque (lb-ft) | Curb weight (lb) | Max towing (lb) | Combined mpg | Base price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| S | FWD | 1.5-liter 4-cylinder (Turbo) | 174 | 184 | 3,201 | – | 31 | $27,975 |
| S 4MOTION | AWD | 1.5-liter 4-cylinder (Turbo) | 174 | 184 | 3,441 | – | 28 | $29,675 |
| SE | FWD | 1.5-liter 4-cylinder (Turbo) | 174 | 184 | 3,201 | – | 31 | $30,735 |
| SE 4MOTION | AWD | 1.5-liter 4-cylinder (Turbo) | 174 | 184 | 3,441 | – | 28 | $32,435 |
| SE Black | FWD | 1.5-liter 4-cylinder (Turbo) | 174 | 184 | 3,201 | – | 31 | $32,985 |
| SE Black 4MOTION | AWD | 1.5-liter 4-cylinder (Turbo) | 174 | 184 | 3,441 | – | 28 | $34,685 |
| SEL 4MOTION | AWD | 1.5-liter 4-cylinder (Turbo) | 174 | 184 | 3,441 | – | 28 | $37,375 |
Source: Kelley Blue Book specifications for the 2026 model year; base price is KBB's national base price where its list carries the trim by the same name. A dash means KBB lists no figure.
Specifications by year
Power, weight and towing for every Volkswagen Taos model year.
| Model year | Trims | Engines | Horsepower | Curb weight (lb) | Max towing (lb) | Fuel tank (gal) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 7 | 1.5-liter 4-cylinder (Turbo) | 174 | 3,201–3,441 | – | 13.2–14.5 |
| 2025 | 7 | 1.5-liter 4-cylinder (Turbo) | 174 | 3,201–3,441 | – | 13.2–14.5 |
| 2024 | 7 | 1.5-liter 4-cylinder (Turbo) | 158 | 3,181–3,430 | – | 13.2–14.5 |
| 2023 | 5 | 1.5-liter 4-cylinder (Turbo) | 158 | 3,181–3,437 | – | 13.2–14.5 |
| 2022 | 6 | 1.5-liter 4-cylinder (Turbo) | 158 | 3,175–3,430 | – | 13.2–14.5 |
Source: Kelley Blue Book specifications for each model year. A range covers every trim KBB lists that year; a dash means KBB lists no figure.
Owning it
Oil, fluid and wheel-nut figures for the Volkswagen Taos.
| Model year | Engine oil | Brake fluid | Wheel-nut torque | A/C refrigerant | Key-fob battery |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | – | DOT 4 | – | – | – |
| 2023 | – | DOT 4 | – | – | – |
Source: the manufacturer's owner's manual for each model year. A dash means that year's manual gave no single value for it, for instance one that lists two oil grades or two key types.
Model-year recall record
Volkswagen Taos: which model years carry more or fewer federal safety recalls.
Fewer recalls than this model’s own average
- 2026 Volkswagen Taos : 1 recall on file (average across published years is 3.0).
More recalls than this model’s own average
- 2022 Volkswagen Taos : 6 recalls on file, most commonly affecting fuel system and engine cooling.
| Model year | Federal recalls on file | Complaints on file | Recalls most commonly affected |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 1 | not available | fuel system |
| 2025 | 2 | 9 | electrical system, fuel system |
| 2024 | 51 | ||
| 2023 | 102 | ||
| 2022 | 6 | 310 | fuel system, engine cooling, suspension, backup camera |
| 2021 | 0 | ||
| 2020 | not available | ||
| 2019 | not available | ||
| 2018 | not available | ||
| 2017 | not available | ||
| 2016 | not available | ||
| 2015 | not available |
Method: recall counts and their affected components come from the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation: Recalls API, queried by exact make, model and model year. Complaint counts come from the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation: Complaints API, same query pattern. Data pulled 2026-09-04.
Known gap: the NHTSA complaints API did not return data for Volkswagen Taos model year 2026 when queried for this page: the request itself failed upstream, not returning a genuine zero. Those years are marked "not available" above instead of shown as clean; recall counts for those years are unaffected and come from the separate recalls API, which returned data for every year listed.
Check open recalls by VIN for one particular vehicle.
Q01Is there a best year to buy a Volkswagen Taos?
Recall count alone can't answer that: it says nothing about a specific vehicle's price, mileage, accident history or maintenance record. What federal data can say: 2026 carried fewer recalls than this model's own average, while 2022 carried more. See the model-year table on this page for the exact counts and what they cover.
Q02Which Volkswagen Taos model years should I watch for recalls?
The 2022 Volkswagen Taos has 6 federal recalls on file, most commonly affecting fuel system, engine cooling, suspension. Always confirm the open/completed status of every campaign for the specific VIN: a recall on this list may already be repaired on the vehicle in front of you.
Q03Which Volkswagen Taos model years have the cleanest federal recall record?
The 2026 Volkswagen Taos has 1 recall on file: below this model's own average of 3.0. A shorter list on file as of this page's data pull is not a guarantee against a future recall.
Q04What are common recall-related problems on the Volkswagen Taos by model year?
2026: fuel system. 2025: electrical system, fuel system. 2022: fuel system, engine cooling, suspension, backup camera.
Q05Why do some Volkswagen Taos model years show "not available" for complaints?
The NHTSA complaints API did not return data for Volkswagen Taos model year 2026 when queried for this page: the request itself failed upstream instead of the count genuinely being zero. Recall counts for those years are unaffected; they come from a separate NHTSA endpoint that returned data for every year listed.
Diagnosing one of these symptoms? The recalled systems above map to this site’s own ownership desks: general, evidence-first guidance that applies regardless of whether the specific vehicle in front of you was ever part of a recall campaign: Engine and cooling, Brakes, tires and steering, Climate and electrical.
2022 Volkswagen Taos owners specifically: see Engine and cooling and Brakes, tires and steering and Climate and electrical.
Compared with
Models this Volkswagen Taos is most often compared with.
Nearest Volkswagen models
Other Volkswagen models.
Frequent questions
Answers with their conditions intact.
Q01How many trims does the 2027 Taos come in?
The 2027 Volkswagen Taos (compact SUV) comes in 5 trims: S, SE, SE Black, Sport, SEL.
Q02What are the 2027 Taos trims?
The 2027 Volkswagen Taos trims are S, SE, SE Black, Sport, SEL, listed from the entry S up to the top SEL.
Q03What engine or powertrain does the 2027 Taos use?
The 2027 Volkswagen Taos is built around 1.5L turbo four-cylinder, rated at 174 horsepower across its compact SUV body style.
Q04How much horsepower does the 2027 Taos have?
The 2027 Volkswagen Taos is rated at 174 horsepower (1.5L turbo four-cylinder).
Q05Is AWD or 4WD available on the 2027 Taos?
The 2027 Volkswagen Taos is offered with FWD / AWD.