Start with the seat, because it changes the most. The S and Sport use a six-way manual driver's seat; the SE, SE Black and SEL fit an eight-way power seat with lumbar support. Heating is standard from the SE up, and on the S and Sport it is bundled with 4MOTION rather than sold separately, which is a detail worth confirming before you order a front-drive car.

The Taos seats five with 40.1 inches of front legroom and 37.9 in the second row, 40.7 inches of front headroom and 39.8 behind. Shoulder room measures 56.5 and 55.2, and hip room 53.9 and 45.4. Climate control is manual on the S and Sport and dual-zone touch-control Climatronic from the SE upward, and only the SEL offers ventilated front seats.

• Six-way manual driver seat on S and Sport
• Eight-way power driver seat with lumbar from SE up
• Heated front seats standard from SE up
• 40.1 in front legroom, 37.9 in the second row
• 40.7 in front headroom, 39.8 in the second row
• Ventilated front seats on the SEL only

There are two screens to consider and only one of them changes size. The center touchscreen is eight inches on every trim, running Composition Media on four of them and Discover Media with built-in navigation on the SEL. Wireless App-Connect handles Apple CarPlay and Android Auto without a cable, and myVW connects the car to your phone.

The instrument display is the one that grows. An eight-inch Volkswagen Digital Cockpit with two views and customizable widgets serves the S and Sport; the SE, SE Black and SEL get the 10.25-inch Digital Cockpit Pro with up to four views. Six speakers are standard for 2027 on every trim, the SEL adds Volkswagen Premium Audio at eight, and two 45-watt USB-C ports sit up front with a charge-only third port in back from the SE.

• Eight-inch center touchscreen on all five trims
• Discover Media with navigation on the SEL
• Eight-inch Digital Cockpit on S and Sport
• 10.25-inch Digital Cockpit Pro from SE up
• Two 45-watt USB-C ports up front
• Rear USB-C port from SE up

Volkswagen ties cabin finish to trim, so the interior comes as part of the package rather than as a separate order. The S is trimmed in two-tone black and gray cloth. The Sport takes the same architecture into an embossed black cloth with yellow stitching, the sharpest contrast trim in the range.

The SE pairs CloudTex with cloth in a choice of two two-tone combinations. SE Black commits to a single all-black treatment, matched by gloss-black dash décor and black scuff plates. The SEL is the only Taos with leather seating surfaces, offered in two-tone black and gray or in a dark blue, and the only one with ten-color ambient lighting to set the mood after dark.

• Two-tone black and gray cloth on the S
• Embossed black cloth with yellow stitching on the Sport
• Two CloudTex and cloth combinations on the SE
• All-black cabin with gloss-black décor on SE Black
• Leather seating surfaces on the SEL
• Ten-color ambient lighting on the SEL