Volkswagen has revealed its first ever seven-seat SUV ahead of its spring 2017 launch. Called the Atlas, it shoulders the mighty task of restoring brand reputation for North American customers post-'Dieselgate'.
Aimed straight for “the heart of the American market”, the Atlas SUV is the largest vehicle ever built by VW in America, at the brand’s Chattanooga factory in Tennessee. It’s 5,037mm long and nearly 1,980mm wide, making it the biggest VW passenger car on sale. It’s also almost 340mm longer and 100mm wider than the sister brand Skoda’s new Kodiaq. However, unlike the Kodiaq, the Atlas is only for release in the US at the moment.
VW Atlas: design
Heavily inspired by the Crossblue concept of 2013, the production Atlas sits on the VW Group’s familiar MQB platform. The exterior look is said to create “a sense of timelessness and precision”; there’s a bluff front-end and squared-off bonnet, with VW’s recognisable two-bar chrome front grille and square LED headlamps.
Side-on the Atlas has traditional chunky SUV stance and rugged lower body cladding, while a single styling crease follows the curvature of the wheelarches all the way along the length of the car. There’s a hint of Bentley Bentayga in the overall profile, too, although the bulky rear overhang is a symptom of the extra row of rear seats. The rear is similar in shape to the smaller Volkswagen Tiguan, albeit with twin exhausts integrated into the lower bumper.
Volkswagen Atlas: interior
Inside, VW claims there is space for seven adults and their luggage. The rearmost seats are accessed by a clever folding mechanism in the second row that, apparently, works even when child seats are in place. The rest of the simple and minimalist cabin will be familiar to any current Volkswagen owners.
The centre console features the brand’s latest Car Net system, with Android Auto, Apple CarPlay and Mirrorlink tech. Options include VW’s Digital Cockpit configurable instruments and 12-speaker Fender audio system.
Volkswagen Atlas: engines and safety
The Atlas is said to be the only SUV in its class to get Automatic Post-Collision Braking as standard, while the available suite of active safety tech includes Adaptive Cruise Control, Forward Collision Warning, ‘Front Assist’ autonomous braking, rear-cross traffic alert, lane keep assist and self-park assist.
At launch two powertrains will be offered on the Atlas. There’s a 2.0 litre direct-injection TSI turbo petrol with 234bhp or VW’s 3.6 litre naturally aspirated six-cylinder ‘VR6’ with 275bhp. Both units are mated to an eight-speed automatic gearbox, with either front or four-wheel drive. No fuel economy or performance figures have been released yet.
Prices are yet to be announced, too, but Volkswagen claims the range will kick off “at a price designed to draw customers attention in the family SUV segment”. Expect that to be roughly in line with rivals such as
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