Volkswagen on Tuesday took the wraps off of the new 2022 Taos, the brand's smallest SUV to date. Slotting below the Tiguan in VW's lineup, it'll take on the likes of the Chevy Trailblazer, Kia Seltos, and Toyota CH-R in the crowded compact-SUV space.
Small SUVs made up nearly one-fourth of new-car sales in 2019, with 4 million of the vehicles rolling off of dealer lots. And Volkswagen, it seems, is intent on attacking the booming segment from every angle.
VW launched the Tiguan back in 2007, and the SUV now ranks as the brand's best-selling vehicle. VW has sold more than 6 million Tiguans globally, building more than 900,000 of them in 2019 alone. With the Taos, VW's fifth new SUV in four years, the brand says it's setting its sights on buyers looking for something a bit smaller and more affordable.
But the new Taos isn't actually all that different from the Tiguan — it's around nine inches shorter and slightly wider — so it doesn't add all that much to VW's SUV offerings. Other diminutive crossovers like the Subaru Crosstrek, Toyota CH-R, and Honda HR-V, on the other hand, do a lot more to differentiate themselves from larger SUVs in their brands' respective lineups.
Still, the Taos will probably sell like hotcakes and may be a solid buy for Volkswagen fans who think the Tiguan is just a smidge bulky. Take a closer look at the new SUV below.