The Volkswagen Atlas has been helping to prop up the brand in America since it launched in 2018.
The three-row SUV was specifically designed with the U.S. market in mind and is built in Tennessee. Today, it is one of VW’s top-selling models and is finally getting a major makeover to keep the good times rolling.
The 2027 Atlas revealed at the New York International Auto Show is an evolution of the outgoing edition based on an updated version of the same platform.
It’s essentially the same size and shape, but has smoother surfaces and an illuminated front end with full-width horizontal light bars no upper grille that gives the impression it might be an electric vehicle.
It’s not. The Atlas is powered by a new version of the model’s turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine that’s rated at 282 hp and 258 lb-ft, which is 13 hp more and 15 lb-ft less than the one it replaces. It will be offered with in front-wheel-drive and all-wheel-drive models when deliveries begin this fall. VW said a hybrid model will be added during the Atlas’ mid-cycle refresh. It didn’t put a date on it, but that typically occurs three or four years into a model generation.
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The interior features a more significant redesign that’s inline with the VW lineup’s latest look. It has a digital instrument cluster, a large touchscreen infotainment system and few buttons and knobs.
There is a large example of the latter on the center console, which is multi-functional and controls the volume, drive mode selector and the Atmospheres feature, which syncs the cabin’s ambient lighting with the audio system. A digital display in the center of the knob is keyed to the feature for which it is being used.
The Atlas will be available in six-passenger and seven-passenger configurations and a Premium Speech AI voice assistant will be offered through a subscription.
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VW’s IQ.Drive electronic driver aid will also be available. Its hands-on Travel Assist lane-centering adaptive cruise control has been upgraded with an Emergency Assist function that allows the vehicle to slow itself down and pull over to the side of the road if it detects that the driver has become unresponsive.
Full pricing and trim information will be released closer to when the Atlas goes on sale.
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