An SUV made for America

Volkswagen wants to be a much bigger player in the U.S. car market, and the 2018 Atlas is key to that. It’s a new type of model for VW: a seven-seat crossover of the kind that’s exceedingly popular at the moment. More than almost any other previous Volkswagen model, the Atlas is tailored specifically for the US market. But it’s still a VW where it counts.

Performance

The 2018 Atlas is Volkswagen’s first seven-seat crossover, but it promises to offer the same precision and efficiency as other VW models. In fact, despite being a completely new type of vehicle for Volkswagen, it actually borrows liberally from the company’s existing cars.

At 198.3 inches long, 77.9 inches wide, and 69.6 inches high, the Atlas is larger than any Volkswagen currently sold in the U.S. But it shares the versatile MQB platform with the compact Golf, as well as numerous other VW Group products, including the Audi A3. VW was able to stretch this platform to accommodate a full three rows of seats and a high-riding SUV body—no small feat.

The Atlas is available with two engine options at launch, both shared with other Volkswagen models. The 2.0-liter turbocharged and direct-injected TSI four-cylinder engine produces 238 horsepower, while the 3.6-liter VR6 produces 260 hp. An engine configuration unique to Volkswagen, the VR6 is a narrow-angle V6 that takes up less space than a conventional design. 

Both engines are mated to an eight-speed automatic transmission that VW says was designed to maximize efficiency. The Atlas comes standard with front-wheel drive, while Volkswagen’s 4MOTION® all-wheel-drive system is optional. The 4MOTION® system has a Driving Mode Selection feature that allows drivers to alter the vehicle’s behavior based on the conditions.

Features

The 2018 Volkswagen Atlas is a five-door, seven-seat midsize crossover utility vehicle. While the Atlas is expected to be a mainstream model, it also comes generously equipped. Some of the features that are available include the Volkswagen Digital Cockpit reconfigurable dashboard display, Car-Net® infotainment system with Apple CarPlay™ and Android Auto™ compatibility, and a 12-speaker Fender® premium audio system.

Design

The 2018 Volkswagen Atlas is a new type of SUV for VW, but it enters a crowded segment. Three-row crossovers are incredibly popular at the moment, with the segment having assimilated most buyers of minivans, station wagons, and traditional truck-based SUVs. So Volkswagen designers were tasked with creating a vehicle to emulate the competition, but with an unmistakable VW character.

The Atlas is based on the CrossBlue concept from 2013, but Volkswagen says it had to bulk up the styling for production. Designers’ first attempts were actually “too small, too compact, designed too much out of a European perspective,” VW design boss Klaus Bischoff said. The resulting design is still recognizable as a Volkswagen but is also large and in charge.

The design conveys that VW character through simplicity. The front end features an elegant horizontal grille and LED headlights and daytime running lights, while the sides of the vehicle are sparsely decorated with a few horizontal lines in key places. Boxy wheel openings give the Atlas a bit of traditional SUV toughness.

The interior is both flexible—thanks to what Volkswagen calls an “innovative folding seat solution” for the third row—and full of tech. The Atlas features Volkswagen’s new Digital Cockpit, a reconfigurable display adapted from the Audi luxury brand that replaces analog gauges with an all-digital setup. 

Safety

Safety features that available on the 2018 Volkswagen Atlas include anti-lock brakes, stability and traction controls, the usual complement of airbags, adaptive cruise control, forward collision warning with autonomous emergency braking, blind spot monitor with rear cross traffic alert, lane departure warning with lane keep assist, and park assist.

The Atlas is also be offered with an automatic post-collision braking system. This “builds on the premise that a collision is rarely a single, instantaneous action,” but rather multiple events following the initial impact, according to VW. The system addresses this by automatically applying the brakes when a collision is detected.

Verdict

The 2018 Volkswagen Atlas is a type of vehicle American buyers are familiar with, but with all of the exceptional qualities of a Volkswagen.

For more information on the 2018 Volkswagen Atlas, contact us online or visit 3Birds Template at 505 W. Franklin St., Chapel Hill, NC 27516.

Image: Volkswagen