Volkswagen has begun shipping the first units of the Taos from the Puebla plant in Mexico to the United States two months after production for export markets kicked off. The first batch of small crossovers departed on board the Mediterranean Highway vessel, which is part of the fleet used by the Volkswagen Group, on Friday, destined for different ports nationwide.
Presented back in October in the Latin
America- and U.S.-specs, the 2022 Taos is a compact SUV that looks identical on
the outside in both configurations, save for the side marker lamps that are
mandatory north of the Mexican border. There are more differences in the
cockpit, as the one for Latin America features the VW Play infotainment system
shared with the Nivus, while the North American variant uses the MIB3 interface
and an 8-inch touchscreen display.
Powering Latin America’s 2022 Taos is a
turbocharged 1.4-liter four-cylinder petrol engine, understood to produce 148
horsepower and 250 Nm of torque. The North American version is
offered with a 158 HP and 250 Nm 1.5-liter turbo-four hooked up to
an eight-speed automatic transmission and front-wheel drive. A seven-speed DSG
is also available, albeit with the optional all-wheel drive system.
Pricing will be announced shortly, but
since it is positioned under the Tiguan, it will be more affordable than its
larger sibling that has a starting MSRP of US$ 25,245.
