The Atlas, built in Tennessee, is the largest Volkswagen ever assembled there. It is powered by a choice of two engines: a four-cylinder TSI turbo or the available powerful VR6, both with eight-speed automatic transmission.
Front-wheel-drive is standard but there's an optional 4Motion all-wheel-drive system for those who pick the VR6 version.
Based on Volkswagen’s Modular Transverse Matrix (MQB) architecture, the Atlas draws on the latest Volkswagen design DNA to create a bold new look in the SUV segment. At 5,036mm long, 1,978mm wide, and 1,767mm high, Atlas is larger than any other Volkswagen on sale in the United States, yet it retains classic proportions and clean lines. It's bigger than even the ageing Touareg. Up front, standard LED headlights and LED Daytime Running Lights combine for a unique visual signature, with optional LED taillights to complete the look.
Inside, the Atlas makes maximum use of its dimensions to offer space for seven adults and their luggage. The third-row can be easily reached by a new folding seat method, one that works even with child seats installed in the second row. Simple, driver-centric displays enhance the feeling behind the wheel rather than distracting from it; while the available Volkswagen Digital Cockpit allows drivers to reconfigure how they view vehicle information.
The Atlas is sold with a long list of options, with one of them being connectivity, an important consideration for today's car buyers. It has available Volkswagen Car-Net system that provides a full suite of connected vehicle services, including standard App-Connect technology that offers integration with the three major smartphone platforms—Apple CarPlay, Android Auto and MirrorLink. Also optional is an Fender Premium Audio System that is the most sophisticated yet seen in a Volkswagen, with 12 channels, a 480-watt amplifier and 12 speakers.
The following driver assistance features, previously reserved for premium SUVs, are extra cost items, too. These include: Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC); Forward Collision Warning and Autonomous Emergency Braking (Front Assist); Blind Spot Monitor with Rear Traffic Alert; Lane Departure Warning (Lane Assist), which actively helps the driver steer the car back into its lane; and Parking Steering Assistant (Park Assist).
Volkswagen says the new SUV is the only vehicle in its class to offer the Automatic Post-Collision Braking System. This builds on the premise that a collision is rarely a single, instantaneous action, but a series of events that follow the initial impact—the most significant of which can cause additional collisions.
The Automatic Post-Collision Braking System addresses this by applying the brakes when a primary collision is detected by the airbag sensors, thus helping reduce residual kinetic energy and, in turn, the chance of additional damage.
The Atlas comes with a choice of two powertrains: the 2.0-litre turbocharged and direct-injection TSI four cylinder with 238hp or the available 3.6-litre VR6 engine with 280hp, which is an 11-year-old engine. Either engine routes power through an eight-speed transmission to help maximise engine efficiency, and the Atlas can be configured either as front-wheel-drive or with available 4Motion all-wheel-drive in VR6 trims.
The 4Motion system has a Driving Mode Selection feature that allows the driver to select specific parameters based on driving conditions. EPA fuel economy estimates will be released ahead of the launch in the spring of 2017.
The Atlas is built alongside the Passat at the Volkswagen Chattanooga assembly plant, the result of an additional US$900mil investment by Volkswagen in the facility.
“This is the biggest and boldest Volkswagen we have ever built in the United States, delivering the distinctive design and craftsmanship we’re known for, now with room for seven, ” said Hinrich J. Woebcken, CEO of the North America Region, Volkswagen. “The Atlas marks a brand new journey for Volkswagen to enter into the heart of the American market,” he said on Thursday at the world premiere of the SUV on the Santa Monica Pier at the end of historic Route 66.
The Atlas will also make an appearance at the Nov 18-27 LA Auto Show.
