The S suits the driver who wants the safety technology first and foremost. IQ.DRIVE arrives in full on this trim, so Adaptive Cruise Control with Stop and Go, Travel Assist and Emergency Assist are all present at the bottom of the range, alongside premium LED projector headlights and a heated steering wheel.

For 2027 Volkswagen gave the S a real upgrade rather than a cosmetic one. Composition Media replaces the older head unit and brings satellite radio and voice control with it, the speaker count rises from four to six, and full KESSY keyless access replaces a system that only offered push-button start. Cloth is two-tone black and gray, the driver's seat is six-way manual and climate control is manual. Order it with 4MOTION and heated front seats, heated mirrors and 18-inch wheels come along.

• $26,500 front-wheel drive, $28,200 with 4MOTION
• Full IQ.DRIVE suite standard
• Composition Media and six speakers new for 2027
• Full KESSY keyless access new for 2027
• Heated front seats included with 4MOTION
• 17-inch wheels front-drive, 18-inch with 4MOTION

The Sport is aimed squarely at the buyer who likes what the S costs and wishes it looked sharper. Volkswagen made no mechanical changes here, which is worth stating plainly: same engine, same transmission, same suspension, same ratings. The $900 step over the S buys appearance, and it buys quite a lot of it.

Black 18-inch wheels come on both drivetrains, joined by black roof rails, a black spoiler, gloss-black mirror caps, gunmetal front bumper trim, a rear skid plate, gunmetal exhaust tips and privacy glass. Inside, embossed black cloth carries yellow stitching that runs through the cabin. For a Metro East buyer who wants a monochrome look, it is the shortest route there.

• New for 2027 at $27,400 front-wheel drive
• $29,100 with 4MOTION
• Black 18-inch wheels either drivetrain
• Black roof rails, spoiler and mirror caps
• Gunmetal bumper trim, skid plate and exhaust tips
• Yellow stitching on embossed black cloth

The SE is the trim for people who use the car every day and want the daily-use items sorted. Heated front seats, heated mirrors and heated washer nozzles become standard here whether or not you order 4MOTION, which is the single most useful change in the range for anyone parked outside through an Illinois January.

It also brings the 10.25-inch Digital Cockpit Pro, dual-zone Climatronic, an eight-way power driver's seat with lumbar support, remote start and an alarm, an auto-dimming rearview mirror, wireless charging, a rear USB-C port, adaptive front lighting and Park Distance Control. Seats are CloudTex and cloth in two two-tone choices, roof rails go silver, and a panoramic sunroof is available for $1,200, the only factory option on the trim.

• $29,290 front-wheel drive, $30,990 with 4MOTION
• Heated seats and mirrors standard on both drivetrains
• 10.25-inch Digital Cockpit Pro
• Dual-zone Climatronic and remote start
• Wireless charging and a rear USB-C port
• Park Distance Control front and rear

SE Black is for the buyer who wants the SE's equipment and the Sport's attitude in one car, without compromising on either. It keeps every daily-use feature the SE brought and then commits to a single monochrome theme from the roof down.

The roof and roof rails are black, the spoiler is black, the SE badge on the tailgate is black, and the front and rear trim and exhaust tips are gunmetal. Black scuff plates and gloss-black dash décor continue it inside, where the CloudTex and cloth seating is all black. The panoramic sunroof and the illuminated front light bar are both standard rather than optional, and 4MOTION cars step up to 19-inch black wheels.

• $31,540 front-wheel drive, $33,240 with 4MOTION
• Black roof, rails, spoiler and tailgate badge
• Gunmetal trim and exhaust tips
• Panoramic sunroof standard
• Illuminated front light bar standard
• 19-inch black wheels with 4MOTION

The SEL is for the driver who wants the small-SUV footprint with the full equipment list, and Volkswagen builds it accordingly: 4MOTION only, at $35,900, with the all-wheel-drive EPA estimates of 25 city, 33 highway and 28 combined.

It is the only Taos with leather seating surfaces, offered in two-tone black and gray or a dark blue, and the only one with ventilated front seats and ten-color ambient lighting. Discover Media replaces Composition Media so navigation is built into the eight-inch screen, Volkswagen Premium Audio brings an eight-speaker system, and Dynamic Road Sign Display reads limits off the road ahead. Nineteen-inch machined wheels are standard, with a black set available for $395.

• $35,900, 4MOTION only
• EPA-estimated 25/33/28
• Leather seating surfaces in two colorways
• Ventilated front seats, unique to the SEL
• Discover Media with built-in navigation
• Volkswagen Premium Audio with eight speakers