New VW Atlas has been perfected
SUV is a competitor in our modern-day culture of moving family, friends, cargo
Ta brand-new SUV in town called Volkswagen Atlas, and it’s sure one of the roomiest midsize SUVS I’ve ever tested. With three rows of standard seating allowing up to seven passengers, the all-new 2018 Volkswagen Atlas replaces the five-passenger Toureg and looks to be a stern competitor in this popular class.
“Simply put, the amount of interior space in the Atlas for the price is second to none,” said Scott Nicolari, general manager at Findlay North Volkswagen. “When compared to every other vehicle in its class, the entry and exit of all three rows are simply the easiest to use for all people — adults too, not just kids.”
Currently, Atlas sits alongside smaller compact crossover Tiguan at VW dealerships, the latter which receives a major makeover for 2018.
Atlas starts with the entry S for $30,375, then moves up through another 11 models to reach the summit SEL Premium, which retails for $48,740 fully loaded. Both Turbo4 and V-6 engines are available until you get to the top-rung SEL Premium, which comes with the V-6 engine as standard fare.
Recommended is the V-6 over the turbocharged 4-cylinder for obvious power benefits and towing advantages. Expressly, the 3.6-liter V-6 develops 276 horses and 266 poundfeet of torque versus the small 2.0-liter inline turbo four-cylinder that delivers 235 horses and 258 poundfeet of torque.
When you have your Atlas loaded up with passengers and cargo is filled to the brim (for a trip to the beach for example), the extra 41 horses will surely be appreciated. All Atlas models utilize a fine shifting eight-speed automatic Tiptronic transmission that shifted perfectly during our test review.
The new Atlas offers both frontwheel-drive or VW’S famous 4Motion all-wheel-drive with Active Control, the latter which the tester featured. In choosing your preference of adhesion, keep in mind that only the V-6 models offer the 4Motion AWD.
The entry price for my Atlas V-6 SE Tech V6 4Motion is $38,890 and comes delivered with just about every standard feature you’ll need. If you live in a warm climate state, this same vehicle with front-drive starts at $37,340.
Of all the trims available, the Atlas SE V-6 with technology 4Motion may well be the best of the bunch as for return on investment. Standard features include all the high-tech items like Apple and Android compatibility, Volkswagen App-connect (which begins when you plug in your compatible smartphone), adaptive cruise, enhanced rearview camera, front collision warning, emergency braking, lane assist, lane departure, eight-speaker Siriusxm with CD player and power liftgate.
Then you add SE’S leatherette trim interior, 18-inch tires on nice alloy wheels, power driver seat, heated front seats, rear sunshades, blindspot monitor, 8-inch touch screen, three-zone climate control and remote push-button start and you have a near fully loaded Atlas.
The Atlas SEL features a panoramic power tilting and sliding sunroof that encompasses the cabin allowing everyone to enjoy the magnificent views.
“This thing is huge,” Nicolari said. “It’s great when you are driving down the Strip, and the passengers can simply look up to see the sights. And when it is hot outside, it has a power sliding shade to keep the Atlas cool.”
Notable is fuel mileage, or lack thereof. The V-6 tester is listed at
17 city and 23 highway, which isn’t the greatest of EPA fuel mileage estimates to begin with. I doubt our weeklong test came close to these numbers, especially in the city.
However, if you’re not going to haul seven passengers any time soon, start with the Turbo4 and see how you like it as the EPA for the four-cylinder is 22 city and 26 highway. Remember, too, this VW Atlas is no lightweight, so fuel mileage will be less than the lighter weight and smaller SUVS.
On the plus side, Atlas is the biggest SUV Volkswagen has built in a long time and offers heaps of cargo capacity over and above the competition. Additionally, our weeklong drive behind the wheel of the Atlas was a complete positive experience, especially the aforementioned standard features combined with ultra-quiet interior and fine road manners.
It’s the interior roominess, however, that deserves extra mention. With nearly 100 cubic feet of cargo space available with seats down and room for seven with seating up, you’ll enjoy things like 17 cup holders (yes, 17), second-row captain chairs, easy third-row access and more third-row legroom than the competition.
ATLAS
“Atlas is Volkswagen’s first venture into a three-row SUV market in the U.S.,” Nicolari said. “The Atlas is made in the U.S. for the U.S. market so it has an advantage of really getting the size, features and pricing right from the start. It is built on the MQB platform, the same as our Golf and GTI, so it is sporty and fun to drive with the ability to still be an effective road warrior for all families.”
As for the task of folding the seats down for added cargo, it’s an easy task that even the kids can accomplish. Further, when you add in Volkswagen’s new “People First Warranty” of six years and 72,000 miles bumper-to-bumper, which is also transferable, you have a winning combination of quality VW build, lots of room and driver confidence.
In summary, when you look back at Volkswagen’s heralded past in building unique vehicles made to transport seven or more passengers, memories of the 23-window Microbus, Kombi vans and those popular Vanagon wagons and Westfalia Campers come quickly to mind. These VW buses date all the way back to 1950 here in the U.S. following the Beetle introduction in 1949. During the 1960 decade, no other vehicle came close to the popularity of a VW “Mini Bus” painted in multicolor “Peace and Love” livery.