Right before the arrival of the 2022 Taos in U.S. showrooms, which is scheduled for June, Volkswagen has released a comprehensive image gallery of its new compact SUV. Sitting under the Tiguan, the Taos will be available in three trim levels named the S, SE and SEL, with a single powertrain, standard front-wheel drive and available 4Motion all-wheel drive.

The base model starts at US$ 22,995 with FWD and US$ 25,040 with AWD, excluding the US$ 1,195 destination charge, and has black roof rails and side mirror casings, and 17-inch aluminum-alloy wheels. A 6.5-inch touchscreen infotainment system is found inside, along with a digital instrument cluster with an 8-inch display, grey and black seats, and a generous selection of driver assistance gear.

 

The mid-range variant has an MSRP of US$ 27,245 with FWD and US$ 28,695 with AWD, and brings 18-inch wheels, silver roof rails, body-colored side mirror casings, grey or black upholstery, keyless access, remote start, heated front seats, a leatherette-wrapped steering wheel, an 8-inch infotainment system, a wireless charging pad and three USB-C ports.

Pricing for the SEL starts at US$ 31,490 with FWD and US$ 33,045 with AWD. The range-topping variant adds LED projector headlights, a LED strip inspired by the one on the ID.4, black 18-inch wheels (19-inch on the AWD models), two-tone leather upholstery, dual-zone climate control, ventilated front seats on the AWD versions, an auto-diming rearview mirror, rain-sensing wipers, a more advanced infotainment system, a 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster, and a Beats Audio system.

 

All 2022 Taos SUVs are powered by an upgraded version of the 1.5-liter engine found in the Jetta. It pumps out 158 HP and 250 Nm of torque and is hooked up to an eight-speed automatic transmission in front-wheel drive configuration, and a seven-speed DSG when ordered with AWD. The EPA-estimated fuel consumption is 28/36/31 mpg (8.4/6.5/7.6 l/100 km) in city/highway/combined with FWD, and 25/32/28 mpg (9.4/7.4/8.4 l/100 km) with AWD.