The Impressive Efficiency of the 2023 VW Taos
August 12 2022,
The 2023 Volkswagen Taos is a fuel-efficient subcompact crossover that benefits from a very modern powertrain to deliver fuel consumption figures that are impressive considering its performance.
A new 1,5L turbocharged engine
The 2023 Volkswagen Taos is exclusively powered by a very modern 1,5L turbocharged four-cylinder engine that was introduced to the Volkswagen lineup in the Taos for the 2022 model year. This small engine is capable of delivering 158 horsepower and 184 lb-ft of torque, which makes the Taos more enjoyable to drive and more capable than many of its competitors. Despite this performance, the fuel consumption figures stay very low, at only 6,6L/100 km on the highway and 8,4L/100 km in the city.
Two choices of transmission
This engine can be paired to one of two equally modern transmissions that make the most of the engine’s power while keeping the fuel consumption as low as possible. Indeed, the 2023 Volkswagen Taos can be equipped with either an 8-speed automatic transmission or a 7-speed dual-dual clutch automated manual transmission. Both of these units provide entirely automatic shifts but the 8-speed is geared more towards refinement and smoothness while the 7-speed is quicker shifting and better suited for spirited driving. The choice of FWD or AWD determines which transmission takes place under the hood. No matter which one is specified, these transmissions are programmed to shift sooner in normal driving in order to keep the engine revolutions low to maximize the fuel economy.
The available 4Motion all-wheel drive system.
The 2023 Volkswagen Taos is available with the competent 4Motion all-wheel drive system but unlike in many cases, specifying the AWD doesn’t result in the fuel efficiency tanking. Indeed, the 4Motion system only brings the fuel consumption up to 9,5L/100 km in the city and 7,4L/100 km on the highway. This is because this system operates only when traction is reduced, which means that under normal driving circumstances, no power is sent to the rear axle in order to limit the wear on the system are reduce the rolling resistance of the Taos, which results in lower fuel consumption.
