Nearly two weeks ago, VW teased a new addition to the family. It wasn't the upcoming VW ID.4 electric crossover, but rather a new crossover intended to slot in below the Tiguan. A single shadowy image was all that accompanied the release, but now, just a few weeks away from its reveal, Volkswagen of America has announced the name of the new model. Introducing the VW Taos - a compact SUV designed 'specifically for the North American region' with a name chosen to 'resonate with American customers.' If you're not familiar, Taos is named after a town in New Mexico that is home to a world heritage site, a world-class ski resort, and the Rio Grande Gorge.

Incidentally, there's history for VW in the town of Taos, as it was the home of John Muir, the engineer turned mechanic who penned "How To Keep Your Volkswagen Alive: A Manual of Step-by-Step Procedures for the Compleat Idiot." The book was a complete guide that enabled many VW mechanics to keep a number of models running, including classic Beetles and Type 3 and 4 models.

As for the new model, VW says that the Taos name was a perfect fit. According to Hein Schafer, Senior VP for Product Marketing and Strategy, "It was important to choose a name that really embodied the nature of the car and the town of Taos, New Mexico was a perfect fit. It's a small city that offers big things."

The 6,000 townsfolk are happy, too. "We are excited that Volkswagen has named their sport utility vehicle after the town of Taos," said Taos Mayor Dan Barrone. "It's a great opportunity for our community to share its rich history and culture alongside Volkswagen with its unique and rich history and culture."

There aren't many details available yet on the Taos, but we expect it to ride on the same MQB architecture as the Volkswagen Tiguan, albeit with a smaller wheelbase that will see it only seat five occupants. We'll know more in the coming weeks, though, as with a reveal scheduled for October 13, we suspect teasers will be in no short supply.