Volkswagen calls the Taos its number-one German-engineered SUV in Canada. I can see why; it charmed me a few years ago with its refined driving manners and spacious interior, even if it was a bit too expensive for its own good. This year, the 2025 Volkswagen Taos receives a refresh, bringing with it a fresh look inside and out and a power upgrade, all in hopes of expanding its appeal. So, I did what my boss told me: I grabbed the keys to a top-spec Highline model to see if those updates are worth it.
What’s new for 2025?
First and foremost, the 2025 Volkswagen Taos wears a new front end featuring a redesigned bumper, grille, and an optional light bar that drew mixed reviews from onlookers. The rest of the refreshed Taos’ styling is quite sharp, and I particularly loved that our tester was painted in Serrano Green Metallic, a new colour for 2025 that breaks up the dreadfully monotonous nature of small crossovers in general. Our tester also featured the optional, restyled 19-inch wheels to round out its trendy new look.
The Taos also sees updates inside. Volkswagen brought in new materials and colour options, and they say they have made the Taos even quieter than before. The eight-inch touchscreen infotainment display, standard across all trim levels, is now floating rather than being recessed into the dash as before, yet remains quite intuitive to use. It features a proximity sensor that detects your finger approaching the touchscreen monitor to automatically display the command prompts below each icon. This keeps the interface looking clean and simple, yet helps tremendously with navigating through the menus.
Interior comfort, cargo, and tech
The 2025 Taos is very well equipped with a heated steering wheel, dual-zone climate control, a digital instrument cluster, and Volkswagen’s full suite of driver assists and active safety tech across all trim levels. We’re not so thrilled about this new Taos trading its buttons-and-knobs for a haptic-feedback panel for the climate controls, but they were less frustrating and more responsive than expected. The adaptive cruise control is smooth, and can bring the Taos to a full stop and get it going again on its own in stop-and-go traffic, and the lane centering does a great job at keeping the Taos within the lines on the highway.
As with the previous model, ride comfort in the 2025 Volkswagen Taos is above-average. The seats are supportive, the cabin is well-isolated from noise and feels bright and airy thanks to our tester’s panoramic sunroof, and there is good space inside for all five occupants. Cargo space is rated at 790 litres behind the second row, and it can expand to a maximum of 1,855 L.
Engine, driving impressions, and fuel economy
Another key revision for 2025 is to the Taos’ 1.5-litre turbo-four. By fitting revised piston rings and fuel injectors, as well as a new turbo housing, intercooler, and gasoline particulate filter, the Taos now generates 174 horsepower, up from last year’s 158. This new power bump, along with expanding the eight-speed automatic to the whole lineup, gave our tester a noticeable improvement on the road especially off the line. I still think this updated powertrain is best suited for the urban jaunts, as it struggles a bit at above 120 km/h, but that is perfect for its intended buyers.
Driving the 2025 Taos left me as charmed as I was the first time around. Its surprisingly refreshing, with its surprisingly responsive steering and small footprint. Its suspension tuning helps absorb road imperfections rather well, yet the Taos still felt more engaging to drive than the usual suspects in this class not called the Mazda CX-30 . I am not suggesting you go racing in one, but you will certainly feel that bit of extra confidence most European cars offer.
Fuel economy for the all-wheel-drive Taos is rated at 9.4 L/100 kilometres in the city and 7.2 on the highway, averaging out to a combined figure of 8.4 L/100 km. It is about a litre more per 100 kilometres across the board compared to the base front-wheel-drive Taos, but our observed figure of 8.6 L/100 kilometres after a week of real-world driving proved accurate and within expectations if nothing else. The fact that the Taos accepts regular-grade gasoline is a big plus.
Is the 2025 Taos worth it?
The 2025 Volkswagen Taos starts at a reasonable $29,795 for the base Trendline model and topping out at $39,995 as-tested for our Highline-trim tester; opting for a colour and sticking with the base wheels would save you $1,000. This price tag is slightly higher than what we see in the Toyota Corolla Cross Hybrid and the Honda HR-V, however some will happily pay more to get some European flair. The updated 2025 Volkswagen Taos definitely delivers on that and more.
