2022 VW Taos is the smallest crossover from the brand

A year and a half ago, the standard VW Golf went the way of the dodo in many markets, leaving behind only the hot GTI and R models. Now to fill in that gap, VW has brought in the 2022 Volkswagen Taos — a crossover that, according to VW, has “a lot of overlap in the use case” with the Golf. The Taos will slot in below the current entry-level Taigun in VW’s crossover lineup in some markets.

The practical looks of a crossover can be no match for the hatchback charm of the Golf, yet the Taos is decently good-looking for a small crossover. The Taos is taller than the Golf and compact enough to zip around town. The bigger size of the crossover gives a boon in the form of increased passenger and cargo space over the Golf.

The design of the 2022 Taos makes the already confusing VW crossover lineup even harder to understand. The Taos sports a  classic VW design that blends in the straight lines of the Tiguan and Taigun with some smooth curves of the T-Roc. There is a long light strip connecting the headlights across the grille. But this absolute blend of design elements borrowed from the rest of the range gels well together to create a cohesive design perfect for a crossover of its size.

The interior design is nothing to write home about. The design is practical with no frills. The 10.3-inch digital instrument cluster and the 8.0-inch touchscreen infotainment system livens up the cabin a bit, providing a little extra panache.

The VW Taos gets an optional IQ.Drive Safety Suite featuring forward collision warning with automatic emergency braking, lane-keeping assist, blind-spot monitoring, automatic high beams, and adaptive cruise control.

Power for the 2022 VW Taos comes from a 1.5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine that churns out 158 hp and 214 Nm of torque. Taos comes in both front-wheel-drive and all-wheel-drive models with the former getting an eight-speed automatic transmission. The 4Motion AWD models will be equipped with a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission.

On the other side of the world, the Taos has been on sale in China for a while now, as the Tharu. This twin to the Taos now gets an EV version in the People’s Republic. The e-Tharu, as it is called, gets an electric motor good for 134 hp, with 290 Nm of instant torque to boot. There is a 44.1-kWh battery pack that gives the e-Tharu 315 km of range, based on the overly optimistic NEDC cycle. Expect the real-world range to be lower than that. If VW decides to roll out an EV version of the Taos for the rest of the world, it will most likely be the e-Tharu in some form.

Though the Golf’s charm cannot be replaced, the 2022 VW Taos is a step in the right direction for the brand, at least financially. Most buyers looking for a car at that price are certain to dig the additional space, higher seating and the practical interior that the crossover brings. In the United States, the Taos is expected to have a lower starting price than the Golf. We are just glad that VW still offers the latest Golf GTI and R. However, it is unclear when any of the aforementioned models will reach the UAE and GCC at this time.