The crossover takeover continues with the all-new 2022 Volkswagen Taos. Despite being a new model, it has the underpinnings of the Tiguan, the engine out of the Jetta, and an Atlas-like aesthetic. In terms of Volkswagen‘s lineup, the Taos makes sense. The Tiguan has become bloated and expensive, leaving enough space for an affordable crossover. However, in today’s competitive market, the Taos will have to be more than just a baby Tiguan to succeed.

The Volkswagen Taos is slightly shorter than the Tiguan

The similarities between the Volkswagen Taos and the Tiguan start with their dimensions. According to Volkswagen, despite being nine inches shorter, the Taos is half an inch wider than the Tiguan. The result is that despite being a smaller model, they look very similar, at least in photos. The main reason for the similarities between the Taos, Tiguan and Atlas is that they all use the same platform.

Volkswagen spent over 60 billion dollars developing its modular MQB platform that underpins all-three of these SUVs. Despite having slightly different body styles, all three of these SUVs end up looking like varying sizes of the same model.

Thankfully, the Taos appears to be the best looking of VW’s three SUVs. The Taos’ almost hatchback-like proportions fit the current Volkswagen design language well. Like the Tiguan, it seems VW plans to offer the Taos in a variety of bright colors, which give it a fun look.

It should be priced marginally below the Tiguan

Although pricing for the 2022 Volkswagen Taos hasn’t been officially released, the assumption is that it will undercut the Tiguan slightly. Given the Tiguan’s $24,945 starting price, the Taos should come in closer to $20,000 to make sense. However, the real money maker for Volkswagen is the available optional extras.

A fully-loaded 2020 Tiguan tops out just over $45,000, meaning there is over $20,000 worth in available options alone. For the Taos to differentiate itself, it cannot follow the Tiguan into the realm of SUV price insanity. The result could be that a buyer may swing for the larger Tiguan if the prices are close enough. To remain competitive, the Taos will have to cost significantly less than the Tiguan, maxing out well below $35,000.

The Tiguan will likely get a price increase soon

The Volkswagen Taos arrives as a new generation of the Tiguan looms on the horizon. The addition of a new baseline SUV for Volkswagen likely means that the next-gen Tiguan should see a decent price increase.

Increasing the Tiguan’s price closer to the Atlas should give the Taos enough room to stand alone and dominate the small crossover market if it lives up to the hype. Standard options such as a digital instrument cluster and driver assistance features should attract new buyers into VW’s SUV world.

While the Volkswagen Taos is not precisely a mini Tiguan, it takes the Tiguan’s old spot in the family tree as the entry-level crossover.