Once upon a time, if you wanted to buy a family car, you had a choice: a hatchback, a sedan, an SUV or a minivan. However, we're living in changing times, and it's becoming increasingly difficult to find a vehicle that perfectly slots into one of those categories. These days, everything must be a crossover. Just about every automaker is aware of this, but some of them became aware earlier than others. This includes Volkswagen, which introduced the original Tiguan in the United States for the 2009 model year.

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The Tiguan didn't start off all that well, but sales eventually soared, leading it to become one of the best-selling compact SUVs on the continent, and with good reason. Since then, Volkswagen has introduced various other SUVs to North America, including the failed Touareg and the highly successful Atlas. But, as crossovers keep getting smaller and smaller, the absence of a subcompact crossover in Volkswagen's North American lineup became obvious. In Europe, that spot is taken up by the T-Roc and T-Cross, but in North America, Volkswagen's offensive on the subcompact crossover segment arrives in the form of the 2022 Taos.

Overview Of The 2022 Taos

Front 3/4 view of the Taos in blue
Via Volkswagen

The 2022 Taos is Volkswagen's first subcompact crossover to be offered in North America. In fact, it was specifically designed for the market, and the U.S.-spec versions will be assembled at Volkswagen's Puebla plant in Mexico. The Taos is a lightly reskinned version of a crossover that has been available in China since 2018, where it's called the Tharu. It will also indirectly replace the Golf in the U.S. market, as that car was pulled from sale in 2020. As far as the competition is concerned, the Taos is going into battle with cars like the Kia Seltos, the Hyundai Tucson, and the Subaru Crosstrek.

Rear 3/4 view of the red Taos
Volkswagen

In terms of sizing, the Taos slots right below the seven-seater Tiguan Allspace. In terms of exterior styling, there definitely won't be any confusion that the Taos is a Volkswagen. To summarize, it looks like someone stuffed the Atlas into a washing machine but used the wrong setting, and that's no bad thing. There are also some pretty funky colors to choose from, depending on the trim. Speaking of trim, like most other Volkswagen models, the Taos is offered with three different trim levels: S, SE and SEL.

2022 Taos: Powertrain And Drivetrain

A red Taos on the move
Volkswagen

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In North America, the Taos is available with only one engine; a 1.5-liter turbocharged four-cylinder, a member of the TSI Evo family. This engine is borrowed from some Euro Volkswagen products, such as the new Mk8 Golf, the Skoda Octavia, and the SEAT Leon. In the Taos, this engine develops 158 hp and 184 lb-ft of torque. Interestingly, that's 10 more than the European version, presumably due to the lack of a gasoline particulate filter.

The torque kicks in at 1,750 rpm, meaning the pulling power should be decent. It's available with either FWD or 4Motion AWD. The FWD versions are hooked up to an 8-speed torque converter automatic transmission, while the 4Motion models get a 7-speed DSG dual-clutch automatic instead. A manual transmission will, unfortunately, not be offered on the Taos in North America. All of this, combined with the good chassis tuning, results in a crossover that's very relaxing on a highway cruise, and surprisingly fun if the road suddenly gets twisty.

Comfort, Technology And Safety In The Taos

The interior of the Taos, wide angle
Volkswagen

The interior of the Taos is usual Volkswagen fair. It's pretty much identical to every other model in the lineup, although that's no bad thing. It should be pretty well-made inside, and although the design is very simple and not futuristic, it's still very functional. Everything is where you expect it to be, and most of the essentials are still controlled through physical buttons, rather than the hopeless touch-sensitive stuff found in the ID.4.

The shift lever in the new Taos
Volkswagen

All versions of the Taos get the 12.3-inch digital driver's display as standard, and the SE and SEL will also get the latest version of Volkswagen's infotainment system, dubbed MIB3. There's a Wi-Fi hotspot, a wireless charging pad, and wireless smartphone connectivity (Apple CarPlay, Android Auto and Volkswagen's proprietary AppConnect). Higher trim levels get even more tech, including remote start, a power driver's seat, and configurable ambient lighting.

In terms of safety, the Taos is well stacked with an Intelligent Crash Response System, Travel Assist, Emergency Assist, Lane Assist, Park Distance Control, Pedestrian Monitoring, and so on. As far as space inside, the Taos seats five passengers, and boasts 27.9 cubic feet with the rear bench folded up, and 65.9 cubic feet with the rear bench down, both of which are excellent numbers for this segment.

Taos Pricing And Launch

Rear 3/4 view of a blue Taos
Via: Volkswagen'

The Taos is available to order as of July 2021. Prices start at around $23,000 for a base S trim, and go all the way up to around $31,500 for a top of the line SEL. With its fun driving dynamics, cool styling, attractive pricing, good tech and safety, and decent practicality, the Taos is a strong player in the subcompact SUV segment. It may be a little more grown up than some of its rivals, but that's no bad thing at all.