- VW Taos SUV caught testing with facelifted design hidden under camouflage
- Mexixo-built Taos debuted in 2020 as a 2022 MY in the U.S. but is based on China’s VW Tharu from 2018
- Camouflage mimicking current SUV’s look could be hiding transverse light bar
It’s no secret that VW is working on an all-new Tiguan for the North American market based on China’s Tayron, but these pictures show the automaker is also about to unleash a refreshed version of the Tiguan’s little brother, the Taos, for 2025.
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The Taos is based on the Chinese market Tharu revealed in 2018, and was launched onto the U.S. market in late 2020 as a 2022 model year vehicle with its own front and rear styling more suited to a Western audience.
Related: VW Taos SE Black Starts At $30k, Facelift Coming For 2025
But plenty has changed since then, and a refresh for the North American car will be charged with both keeping buyers interested when newer rivals are jostling for their attention, and bringing the Taos’ styling closer to that of its more modern VW siblings.
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In typical VW prototype style, this updated Taos wears a mask that mimics the look of the current car, including a deep upper grille that drops far below the headlights and is bisected by a horizontal chrome strip. But we’re expecting the see a much slimmer set of LED lights and grille when the disguise is removed, possibly with a horizontal light bar nestled just under the hood, as on the MK8 Golf.
Similar attempts to obscure what’s in store for the lower bumper area can’t hide the new design of lower grille and side vents, and VW’s designers have also had a play around with the rear light clusters. Again, there are stickers purporting to be the current taillights, but we have a feeling there’s another LED light bar hiding under the suspiciously chunky black panel housing the VW roundel.
Expect some minor revisions to the 148 hp (150 PS) 1.5-liter engine, and to the cabin. But it might be too big an ask for VW to incorporate its latest free-standing tablet touchscreen, as seen on the latest ID.4, ID.7 and European Tiguan, on a car whose bones are so much older. China’s version of the Taos, the Tharu, was updated last year with a tablet display, but it’s a smaller, less sophisticated screen than the one available in the West.
VW hasn’t told us when the new-look Taos will be revealed, only saying a new look is coming for 2025. But the fact that the brand’s U.S. retail website won’t let you configure a new model from the Mexico factory, instead only directing you to browse dealer stock, suggests a reveal is imminent.
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Images: SH Proshots
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