Volkswagen Taos

Volkswagen of America positioned it as the brand’s entry SUV in North America. Hein Schafer, senior vice president of product marketing and strategy, introduced the name in the launch release. Steffen Reiche, president of the Executive Board of Volkswagen de México, led the production start in Puebla. In a Brazilian explanation of the Taos design, Volkswagen published comments from Klaus Zyciora, Group head of design, and Marco Pavone, Volkswagen’s head of exterior design.

It started from a vehicle originally designed for customers in China and South America, adapted to North American tastes on the Volkswagen Group's modular MQB platform. It is built at Volkswagen de México's plant in Puebla, in its newest section, the West Segment, where more than 400 million dollars were invested to produce it. Every Taos sold in the United States comes from Puebla.

Volkswagen announced the name on September 17, 2020. On October 13, 2020 it was revealed, and production started in Puebla that same day; Volkswagen’s release announced Mexico as the planned first market to sell it. In the U.S. it reached dealerships in June 2021 as a 2022 model.

It comes from Taos, a New Mexico town of about 6,000 people and 400 years of history, known for its arts, outdoor adventure and food. Volkswagen picked the name with American buyers in mind. In Hein Schafer's words, it is a small city that offers big things, just like the car.

Compact SUVs were already almost a quarter of new-vehicle sales in the U.S. According to Wards’ original October 2020 report, a third of Volkswagen’s U.S. customers already bought the Tiguan; that figure described the brand’s customers. The Taos broadened the range with a shorter, more affordable choice, yet nearly the same passenger room. It was the second step in Volkswagen’s strategy of doubling up its SUVs, after the Atlas Cross Sport in 2020.