Volkswagen's New Small SUV Will be Called the Taos

Volkswagen has announced the name of its upcoming small SUV, and it'll be called the Taos.

• It'll be smaller than the Tiguan and be about the size of the Jeep Compass.
• Expect it to be on sale in the U.S. by the end of next year starting at around $22,000.    

Volkswagen's new small SUV, which will slot in under the Tiguan compact crossover in its U.S. lineup, will be called the Taos. It makes its debut next month. In other markets, the subcompact SUV is called the Tarek or Tharu and is about 10 inches shorter than the Tiguan.

Expect the Taos to look similar to its Tiguan sibling inside and out. Up front, however, from now two photos the automaker has shared of the upcoming small SUV, you'll notice two thin LED lights that branch off the headlights. If the Taos is anything like the Tarek and Tharu sold elsewhere in the world, it should be around 10 inches shorter than the Tiguan, and for reference, should be similar in size to the Subaru Crosstrek and Jeep Compass.

It's likely to be powered by VW's turbocharged 2.0-liter inline-four found in the Tiguan, although it could also utilize a smaller turbo four. We'll know more about the powertrain details next month, but we do know that it'll ride on Volkswagen's MQB architecture, should come standard with front-wheel drive, and is expected to have 4Motion all-wheel drive as an option.

The Volkswagen Taos is set to make its official debut on October 13 and will start production next year. Expect it to be on sale as a 2021 or 2022 model starting in the low to mid-$20,000 range.