Volkswagen Taos has been officially revealed in the US. The carmaker has positioned the Taos as the cheapest and the smallest SUV in the US markets. The carmaker is also expected to launch this SUV in global markets, including India as well. In India, the Taos is expected to be positioned below Volkswagen Tiguan. The Taos is 4,533 mm long, comes with a wheelbase of 2,689 mm, is 1,841 mm wide, and stands 1,635 tall. This makes the Taos stand above VW T-roc in terms of dimensions.
Official statement
“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.”
Looks
On the exterior front, the Taos comes with an aggressively sculpted hood, LED headlights with Adaptive Front-lighting System (AFS), an illuminated light line, and the SUV is also available in eight colour options. The Taos gets 17-inch alloy wheels as standard. But two 18-inch wheels and a 19-inch alloy wheel are also available as options. A panoramic sunroof is also available but will be charged additionally.
In the US markets, the Taos will mainly stand against the likes of Jeep Compass and Subaru Crosstrek. However, the SUV does not get a separate off-roading trim or rugged design like its competition.
Powertrain
The Taos is powered by a turbocharged 1.5-litre four-cylinder motor, which is capable of churning 158bhp of power and 249nm of torque. This engine is targeting high fuel economy numbers and offers a few different drivetrain options. Front-wheel-drive Taos models have a conventional eight-speed automatic transmission. While adding the 4Motion all-wheel-drive option necessitates a switch to a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission. FWD and AWD models also have different rear suspensions, with a torsion beam in front-drivers and a multilink setup in 4Motion Taos.
Features
The Taos is feature-packed. It comes with automatic headlights, push-button start, 8-way power driver seat, dual-zone climate control, rain-sensing wipers, a heated leatherette steering wheel, heated and ventilated front seats, heated side mirrors, and heated washer nozzles, as standard across all variants in the US. Taos has also been equipped with Volkswagen Digital Cockpit configurable instrument cluster as standard, along with an eight-inch infotainment screen. The upper variants also get 10-colour ambient lighting and a premium eight-speaker music system from Beats.
According to Volkswagen, the Taos will be produced at its plant in Mexico and that it will be available in three different trims. The company has not specified the pricing of the SUV. The SUV is expected to be launched in the US by early 2021.