Sporty Looks, Familiar Engine: Volkswagen Taos Gets a New Trim

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Volkswagen is preparing a new Sport trim for the American Taos. It will join the compact crossover’s 2027 model year lineup, slotting closer to the bottom of the range — above the entry-level S, but below the pricier versions. For Volkswagen, this is an important move: the Taos remains one of the brand’s best-selling models in the US, and in the first quarter of 2026 it ran almost neck-and-neck with the Atlas.

The main idea behind the Taos Sport is to give buyers a pricier, more aggressive look without paying for the top SEL trim. The new version gets 18-inch wheels with black finish, roof rails, a rear spoiler, black mirror caps, a black 4Motion badge, plus front bumper trim, rear skid plate and exhaust tip accents in a gunmetal shade. Essentially, it’s a tidy blackout package — the kind that sells well right now on mainstream crossovers.

Inside, the sporty theme is handled more quietly. Instead of the GTI-style red stitching, the Taos Sport gets black cloth seats with embossed logos and yellow stitching. Tinted rear glass is also part of the package — a feature standard on the SE but missing from the base S.

The mechanicals stay the same. The Taos Sport uses the same 1.5-liter turbo engine with 174 hp as the other versions. This isn’t a hot crossover, just a stylish trim for buyers who care about the look. The 2027 Taos is expected to arrive at dealers in August, with Volkswagen announcing pricing closer to the launch.