2025 Volkswagen Taos Adds Horsepower, Drops the DSG

• The 2025 VW Taos’s standard 1.5-liter turbocharged I4 will now make 174 hp, which travels through an eight-speed automatic regardless of how many wheels are driven.
  

• The 2025 Volkswagen Taos gets updated front, rear, and interior styling with a new standard 8.0-inch touchscreen media display fixed to the dashboard.

• Volkswagen says the 2025 Taos is scheduled to arrive before year’s end.

Joining the growing ranks of Volkswagen’s refreshed machines, the Taos is getting overhauled for 2025. This updated compact crossover shows off new front and rear styling, a refreshed interior and a slew of new parts for the 1.5-liter turbocharged I4. There’s also one fewer transmission option heading into ’25.

Under the hood, there is a lot of news for an engine that carries over its foundational hardware. This turbocharged EA211 mill features a new set of piston rings, a new turbocharger housing, a larger intercooler, and a new set of fuel injectors.

This new hardware lifts this mill up to 174 hp. That’s up from the current model’s 158 hp and should make this VW more fun to drive. Volkswagen hasn’t released official torque figures, yet, but a spokesperson did say it's basically the same 185 lb-ft of twist.

Power from this updated engine will only travel through an eight-speed automatic transmission. Previously, all-wheel-drive models would sport the seven-speed DSG transmission, but that’s shuffling away from the Taos and sticking with VW’s GTI, Golf R, and GLI. Front-wheel-drive models will retain the same eight-speed automatic for ’25.

Wrapping around this updated engine is some revised styling. Volkswagen did away with the Atlas-esque, horizontal bar grille look up front and switched directions to have a more aggressive lower fascia. This design language might remind you of the updated Jetta, or similarly updated VWs.

When scaled up to crossover size, the styling is even more dramatic. Inside this new front end is a standard set of LED projector headlamps. At the rear, you’ll find a continuous light bar and an illuminated VW badge.

The ’25 Taos looks different on the inside, too. A new dashboard sports a standard 8.0-inch media touchscreen, which is up from 6.5 inches. The touch-based Climatronic climate controls expand on the Taos and start at the high-volume SE trim. Climatronic was previously locked behind the more expensive SEL model.

Like most updates, the underside of this Taos is basically the same as its predecessor. Front-wheel-drive models still sport a torsion beam to control the rear wheels, with AWD unlocking a multi-link rear suspension. There are also new wheel options, but the standard wheel doesn’t grow beyond the current 17 inches.

VW says you can expect this ’25 Taos to hit the street before the end of the year, but the company hasn’t mentioned how these updates will affect pricing. Currently, the Taos will set you back $25,420 if you don’t check a single box on your basic Taos S.

The trimwalk stays the same, with SE, SE Black, and the range-topping SEL. If the base price doesn’t move too far away, the added oomph from the engine and new content could help move the Taos up the sales chart.

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