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VW Taos Revealed


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https://www.autoblog.com/2020/10/13/2022-volkswagen-taos-revealed/

 



Volkswagen is expanding its crossover lineup with the compact 2021 VW Taos. Although it is instantly recognizable as a Volkswagen with plenty of styling cues shared with the Tiguan and Atlas Grand Sport, the Taos gets VW's new horizontal LED lighting strip across its grille on the range-topping SEL (see the ID.4) plus a variety of pseudo rugged styling flourishes on every trim.  These include black plastic lower cladding and fender flares, raised roof rails, and alloy trim on the front and rear bumpers that mimic skid plates. Besides serving as an obvious point of difference with the more traditional, family-friendly Tiguan, this more rugged look is the telltale sign that the Taos was designed specifically for the North American market where outdoorsy-themed models like the Subaru Crosstrek and Toyota RAV4 Adventure are booming. 

Volkswagen's flexible MQB architecture underpins the Taos, which stretches 175.8 inches from end to end, 72.5 inches wide, and 64.4 inches tall. For context, it's about 9.3 inches shorter than a Tiguan, and only a couple inches longer than the growing list of "in-betweener" crossovers that bridge the gap between subcompact and compact choices. These include the Kia Seltos, Chevy Trailblazer and Jeep Compass. Its cargo capacity is consistent with those, too, as there is 28.1 cubic feet with five adults on board and 66.3 cubes with the second-row seats folded flat. Back seat legroom is 37.9 inches. 

 

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Built in Puebla, Mexico, along with the Jetta and Tiguan, the 2022 Volkswagen Taos will arrive in showrooms in the summer of 2021. Buyers will initially have three trim levels named S, SE, and SEL, respectively, to choose from. Pricing information will be announced closer to the crossover's on-sale date, but Volkswagen indicated during a presentation to journalists Friday that we can expect it to start around $3,000 less than the Tiguan, give or take a few hundred dollars. That would put the starting price around $22,000, and therefore inline with the Kia Seltos, Subaru Crosstrek and Jeep Compass. 

 

2022 Volkswagen Taos

2022 Volkswagen Taos

2022 Volkswagen Taos

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1 hour ago, akirby said:

Kinda bland but otherwise inoffensive.

 

Yeah, a lot of their stuff is lately.  Seems like they are taking the Toyota path.  Make it an appliance and forgettable.

 

The Audio designs for CUV's aren't much to talk about either.  I do like their cars.  But their CUV offerings are missing something style wise.  Not much of an upgrade over the VW.

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4 hours ago, kyle said:

 

That explains most VW products......still another strong new product  in a growing segment that Ford really isn't competitive in. 

 

It's too early to say Bronco Sport is not competitive... I mean it is not even on sale yet.

 

Late to the game? Yes

 

Not competitive? We'll see

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They said smaller than a Tiguan? The Tiguan is tiny as it is. You might as well buy a hot wheels car at that point. At least the Tiguan I saw today looked the same size as a Buick Encore/Chevy Trax.

 

That being said, it is a good looking car.

Edited by atomcat68
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15 hours ago, bzcat said:

 

It's too early to say Bronco Sport is not competitive... I mean it is not even on sale yet.

 

Late to the game? Yes

 

Not competitive? We'll see

 

You are right about the BS since it hasn't rolled out but neither has the VW. I'm not putting the BS up against the Taos or whatever it's called-I think the VW is smaller but not sure anyone is going to consider one or other ?  What is kind of interesting is seeing all these micro segments develop. 

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On 10/14/2020 at 10:26 AM, 92merc said:

 

Yeah, a lot of their stuff is lately.  Seems like they are taking the Toyota path.  Make it an appliance and forgettable.

 

The Audio designs for CUV's aren't much to talk about either.  I do like their cars.  But their CUV offerings are missing something style wise.  Not much of an upgrade over the VW.

 

They may not have the most exciting styling, but VWs are fun to drive, unlike every Toyota I've ever had the misfortune of renting. Toyotas are appliances, Volkswagens are not.

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On 10/14/2020 at 1:11 PM, atomcat68 said:

They said smaller than a Tiguan? The Tiguan is tiny as it is. You might as well buy a hot wheels car at that point. At least the Tiguan I saw today looked the same size as a Buick Encore/Chevy Trax.

 

That being said, it is a good looking car.

 

Tiguan is the one of the largest compact CUV on the market now at 186" long, basically the same size as the first generation Edge. I think you need some new glasses ?

 

1024px-2018_Volkswagen_Tiguan_12.2.17.jp

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51 minutes ago, bzcat said:

 

Tiguan is the one of the largest compact CUV on the market now at 186" long, basically the same size as the first generation Edge. I think you need some new glasses ?

 

1024px-2018_Volkswagen_Tiguan_12.2.17.jp

All I know, when I was loading cargo in one, it was tough getting items to fit in it that easily fit in other compact CUVs. The roof was too low and even with the seats folded down, it took a lot of work to load the car.

Edited by atomcat68
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14 hours ago, bzcat said:

Tiguan is the one of the largest compact CUV on the market now at 186" long, basically the same size as the first generation Edge. 

 

Has Tiguan grown in size from one generation to the next? The current Tig looks a class larger than what I recall the first one in the U. S. to be - but that might be my eyes playing tricks on me.

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3 hours ago, Harley Lover said:

 

Has Tiguan grown in size from one generation to the next? The current Tig looks a class larger than what I recall the first one in the U. S. to be - but that might be my eyes playing tricks on me.

 

Yes and no. Everything just got bigger and longer.

 

2nd gen Tiguan is about the size of first gen mid size Edge but it's not significantly bigger than other "compacts". Nissan Rogue, Buick Envision, Subaru Forester, and Jeep Cherokee are also about 185" long as well. Escape, RAV4, and CR-V are only slightly shorter.

 

The Taos is roughly the size of first gen Tiguan and slightly longer than Nissan Rogue Sport, Buick Encore GX, Subaru Crosstrek, and Jeep Compass. 

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Taos is C-segment short. Tiguan is C-segment long. Same way that a Focus hatchback is C-segment short and Focus sedan or wagon is C-segment long.

 

The European A/B/C/D/E/F size segment was originally an insurance classification used only in Germany and became European wide in use in the 1980s when EU common market came into force, and Ford combined its European business into a single unit. This is why some British (including Ford UK), French (including Ford France), and Italian sedans from before the 1980s don't fit in this German system very well. Another interesting fact is that this segment classification has no actual size definition and it was assigned to nameplates. It basically doesn't matter how big the car gets, once it is established that the nameplate is a particular segment, it stays in that segment. This is the reason why old nameplates doesn't get recycled often in Europe like they do in North America. And when they do, they almost always stay in the same segment (see Ford Puma: was B-segment coupe, now a B-segment CUV)

 

Current European segment size is roughly ~ corresponding EPA size:

B-short 4.0 meters (EcoSport, VW T-Cross) ~ subcompact

B-long 4.2 meters (Puma, VW T-Roc)  ~ subcompact

C-short 4.4 meters (Bronco Sport, VW Taos) ~ compact

C-long 4.6 meters (Escape, VW Tiguan) ~ compact

D 4.8 meters (Edge, VW Atlas Sport or Tourage) ~ midsize

E 5.0 meters (Explorer, VW Atlas) ~ midsize or fullsize

F over 5.0 meters (Expedition, VW doesn't make anything like this) - fullsize

 

A decade ago, 4.6 meter would be considered D-segment but now days it is still in the C-segment. In Europe, the segment stays with the nameplate due to insurance reasons so the segment size definition is constant moving target. Whereas in the US, the EPA size is clearly defined by interior volume so it doesn't move. 

 

Or put in another way, cars get bigger in the US as they move thru new size class (e.g. Honda Accord started as EPA subcompact in 1976, then became EPA compact in 2nd gen, and moved on the EPA midsize by 4th gen, and was EPA fullsize by 8th gen and now back to EPA midsize for 10th gen).

 

In Europe, the class size keeps increasing with the car (e.g. VW Golf started life in 1974 as a C-segment hatchback so even though it is now the size of D/midsize car from the mid 70s, it is still a C-segment car, or more precisely, a C-segment nameplate according to German insurance tables). 

Edited by bzcat
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