October 01st, 2024

I’ve been seeing a lot of Volkswagen’s Atlas midsize AWD SUV’s on area roadways of late. It appears the Atlas has come on strong since it debuted for the 2018 model year. Up until its initial debut, VW offered but one choice. It was VWs compact Tiguan AWD SUV. Now the larger Atlas fills the bill for families needing an all-weather AWD SUV with a spacious interior and a third row. 

Atlas is offered in FWD and AWD and in SE, SE Technology, SEL, SEL Premium R Line and a new Peak Edition that is off-road oriented. There’s also an Atlas Cross Sport model. 

We were privileged to test the SE Technology FWD model and was impressed with its spacious interior that is deceiving from the outside, plus its smooth ride and price for the amount of content it comes with. 

Exterior wise, Atlas’s wide horizontal grille and above-bumper air vents take on a sporty, toughness look. Same goes for the back end that sports a full-width LED taillight assembly and large Ovid-shaped chromed tailpipe extensions. 

Atlas’s interior is beautiful with heated/ventilated front seats that have extended under thigh support. They are truly a work of art with diamond shaped designs on the seat surfaces plus they are sumptuously padded. Then there’s the 10-inch infotainment display that conforms to the top of the dash, along with easy to operate HVAC controls that are touch sensitive and situated at the screen’s base. 

Among many of the display’s apps and features, the display offers a rearview camera, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity and lots more. Added to the attractive mix are faux wood trim that adorns and swoops along the dash and meets the digital gauge cluster with a driver information display embedded within it. 

On the console, a toggle switch is used for the gear selector and it’s shared with a wireless phone charger. There’s a drive mode switch that offers Eco and Sport modes. VW thoughtfully used the dead space under the console for a storage tray to stow a purse, laptop or other small items. Adding an extra touch of sportiness is the flat-bottom steering wheel that’s supplemented with paddles shifters. All this goes toward a clean, uncluttered and attractive cockpit. 

After a low 19-inch step-in into the second-row seats, that are nicely padded with decent leg room and generous head room, they have their own HVAC controls and they slide-and-tilt forward for easy access to the third row. While the third row are mainly for youngsters, two small-statured adults can fit in a pinch. 

Atlas has a spacious cargo area. With the third row upright, the cargo area measures 23.75 inches deep, 47 wide and 32.5 high and it rated at 20.6 cubic feet. Flip them and cargo depth extends to 56 inches. Flip the second row and expands to 68 inches for 96.6 cubic feet of space. The cargo area has a low 30-inch lift over and beneath the cargo floor are four shallow bins for small item storage. 

Atlas’s powertrain consists of a 2.0-liter turbocharged/intercooled 4-cylinder that develops 269-hp and 273 lb/ft of torque for EPA mileage estimates of 20 city, 27-highway mpg. Coupled to a standard 8-speed automatic transmission, the combination has a towing capacity of 5,000 pounds. 

Power wise and in Eco mode, acceleration is linear in fashion. Switch to Sport mode and when the turbo kicks in, acceleration from a standing stop and when passing 18-wheelers is exhilarating. Engine rpm’s also increase a bit. 

As for ride and handling, Atlas’s heft (4,343-pound curb weight) can be felt but it’s an assuring, smooth ride. Handling is also assuring in sharp turns and with a curb-curb turning radius of 41 feet, Atlas parks easily and remains planted on highways especially during strong crosswinds. Ground clearance is 6.3 inches which should allow traversing modest snow depths. Of course here in the Snowbelt, the AWD model would be a better choice. 

With a host of safety functions such as electronic differential lock, intelligent crash response, lane keep assist, emergency assist, forward collision warning w/automatic braking, pedestrian and cyclist monitoring, blind spot monitoring, rear traffic alert, rain sensing wipers, heated outside mirrors, adaptive cruise and more, the base price comes in at $41,665 that together with delivery ($1,360) reflects $43,015 as the bottom line. Note there were no extra cost items as everything is included. 

The only quirk on the Atlas is that VW puts their gasoline filler outlets on the rear passenger side fender. But it’s more convenient (and familiar) to be on the drivers’ side. 

Atlas is covered by a new vehicle warranty of 4 years/50K miles that includes powertrain components, 7/100K corrosion protection, 2/20K Carefree Maintenance coverage, 24 hours roadside assistance, Car-Net Safe and Secure a 5-year plan for automatic crash notification, emergency call and stolen vehicle locator. And it also comes with top government safety ratings of a full five stars for overall safety, four each for driver/passenger frontal crash, five each for front/rear seat side crash and four for rollover. 
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VW’s Atlas makes sense in a lot of ways. And if in need of a solid, well built SUV with three-row seating, check out the Atlas. Among the long list of its competitors, you’ll be impressed.