Atlas expands lineup with five-seater, pickup
MONTEREY, CALIF. Volkswagen’s history as an automaker started with the Beetle — and was further burnished by cars such as the Rabbit/ Golf, Jetta and Passat — but with car sales in Canada and the United States sinking fast, the company is scrambling to catch up, bolstering its lineup with new models.
During Monterey Car Week, VW rolled out one “certain” and one “possible” model — the Atlas Cross Sport and Atlas Tanoak concept — and threw me the keys to both for a short drive around 17 Mile Drive in Pebble Beach. The catch was that both vehicles were concepts and had governors on them that limited their top speed to an astounding 30 km/h. So any sort of driving impressions will have to wait for another day, but here are the essentials:
The Cross Sport, which made its debut earlier this year at the New York International Auto Show, is a roomy five-seat version of the midsize, seven-seat Atlas crossover that went on sale in North America last year. Scheduled for production in late 2019 as a 2020 model, the Cross Sport’s particulars include a sportier coupe-like profile that adds a bit more personality, along with the same powertrain — 2.0-litre TSI four-cylinder for frontwheel-drive models, or 3.6-L V6 mated to an eight-speed automatic transmission and pumping out a solid 276 horsepower.
To say Volkswagen is keen to gauge the reactions of buyers and media regarding its Atlas Tanoak concept would be a gross understatement. While there are currently no production plans for the pickup, it’s a sure bet VW would roll it out if it could build a business case.
Named after a species of tree native to the U.S. Pacific Coast, the Atlas Tanoak pickup — based on Volkswagen’s MQB (modular transverse matrix) architecture — would slot into the mid-size segment, now populated by the Honda Ridgeline, GM Canyon/Colorado duo, Toyota Tacoma and soon-to-appear Ford Ranger. Like the Atlas seven-seater, the dual-cab Tanoak is powered by a gasoline-fuelled 3.6-L V6, with eight-speed automatic transmission and 4Motion all-wheel-drive system.
In concept form, the Tanoak combines some very avant-garde styling cues inside and out, with an overall macho, bulked-up profile that, if carried over to production, would result in one very cool sport truck. Along with the power bulge in the hood and the underbody protection that also integrates a centrally mounted winch and carabiner, the Tanoak’s main styling feature is an animated lighting display. When the door is opened, the white VW logo gradually brightens. From there, the white light runs over the two crossbars of the grille and into the headlight surrounds. As soon as activation of the lighting strips has reached the headlights, the LEDs of the two strips in front briefly “swipe” out from the logo and back until the LED headlights and narrow, six-sided LED DRLs in the bumper activate.
At the back, red LED strips on the upper and lower areas of the tailgate transition into three-dimensional LED tail lights on the sides. The VW logo is illuminated in white, and there is a white LED stripe in the cargo bed rail, which, when activated, illuminates the cargo bed.
To say Volkswagen is keen to gauge the reactions of buyers and media regarding its Atlas Tanoak concept would be a gross understatement.
Of a more practical nature, the pickup has a cargo bed that is 1,627 millimetres long, 1,450 wide (1,280 mm between the wheel wells) and 530 mm high, allowing for easier transport of cargo such as bikes or camping gear with the tailgate in place, and ATVs and dirt bikes with the tailgate down.
A unique feature of the Tanoak is a rail that is mounted on the pickup bed. Normally, the rail is fixed by the back of the cab, but it can also slide the length of the bed and thus doubles as a carrier for things such as canoes and ladders.
The Tanoak is very much a case of “if you like it, they will build.” Send your cards and letters (and tweets and emails) to VW and let the company know what you think.