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Materials and build-quality are superb in the new VW Atlas SUV.
Materials and build-quality are superb in the new...
Photo by Contributed Photo /Times Free Press.
"Man, that's a big SUV."
If I heard that account once, this week, I heard it 10 times. Active about the burghal in the Chattanooga-made VW Atlas, bodies were active about the seven-passenger SUV's arduous mass.
Funny, I've never gotten that acknowledgment active a Chevy Traverse or a Ford Explorer. Maybe it's aloof that seeing a big, broad-shouldered SUV with a Volkswagen brand is still a change to best folks.
VW afresh appear sales of the midsize Atlas hit 5,154 units in November, apery the best sales ages for the agent back it debuted aftermost spring.
"Interest is still aerial [in the Atlas] and account is convalescent every day," says Jeremy Holsomback, accepted administrator of Village Volkswagen here. "We aren't accepting any problems accepting barter into the Atlas they want."
-Model: 2018 Volkswagen Atlas V6 SEL Premium 4Motion
-Exterior color: Deep Atramentous Pearl
-Interior color: Titan Black
-Engine: 3.6-liter, V-6
-Horsepower: 276
-Transmission: eight-speed automatic
-Fuel economy: 23 mpg highway, 17 mpg city
-Local Dealer: Village Volkswagen Chattanooga
-Price (as tested): $49,415
The uptick in Atlas sales, accumulated with able account sales for the newly-redesigned VW Tiguan bunched SUV, are authoritative VW food must-visit destination credibility for the growing cardinal of Americans who will alone accede affairs sports account vehicles.
That's what VW had in apperception back it conceptualized the Atlas to be congenital at its accumulation bulb here. The automaker capital to body a seven-passenger SUV for the masses with abundant German engineering baked-in to address to acceptable acceptation buyers, too. Hats off to our accompany at VW's Chattanooga accumulation plant. Back it comes to fit and finish, our tester is a world-class vehicle.
The five-passenger VW Touareg (pronounced tour-EGG) was ahead VW's better SUV. It's a absurd agent but accepted too baby for a advanced swath of buyers with bigger families and lots of burden to booty — not to acknowledgment boats and trailers to pull. The Atlas, on the added hand, can carriage seven adults in affluence and cull up to 5,000 pounds.
Pricing for the Atlas is competitive. Our top-of-the-line Atlas V6 SEL Premium with all-wheel-drive has an MRSP of $49,415. A base, front-wheel-drive S-trim archetypal starts at $30,500.
STYLING AND FEATURES
Dimensionally, the Atlas is added than 16 anxiety continued and added than six anxiety wide. A being of boilerplate acme cannot see over the top of the SUV; in fact, best would accept to use a footfall ladder aloof to amount burden assimilate the roof rails.
The exoteric architecture is absolute by aciculate creases in the awning and ancillary panels. The SUV's boxlike appearance additionally optimizes autogenous volume. With the second- and third-row seats bankrupt flat, the Atlas has about 97 cubic anxiety of burden area.
Unlike some avant-garde SUVs which embrace swoopy curve and adorned grilles, the Atlas' architecture is abundant added restrained. Its best appropriate exoteric appearance are flared caster arches and handsome, 20-inch admixture auto shod with Continental, all-season tires. Chrome strips over the rocker panels add beheld interest. The black-on-black blush arrangement of our tester gives the agent a adumbration of menace.
Inside, the Atlas appearance anatomic and aerial design. The birr has a handy, congenital tray for your adaptable buzz and wallet. A center-mounted, 8-inch touch-screen is the hub for the audio and aeronautics functions. Razor-sharp cartoon and able camera accuracy are pluses. We are abnormally addicted of the agenda cockpit affectation (available on Premium models) with gauges that can be configured to a driver's preferences.
Volkswagen claims there are 17 cup-holders in the Atlas, which works out to about 2.5 per person. Our tester appearance three-zone automated altitude controls, addition nice blow back aggravating to punch in temps for up to seven passengers. Meanwhile, admission to the third-row seats can be able by sliding a second-row bench advanced with one hand. Real adults, not aloof contortionists, can sit in the way-back.
The alone things that gave us abeyance about the autogenous of the Atlas were an unnaturally abundant center-stack accumulator alcove lid and sun visors that assume a bit chiffon for a agent abutting $50,000.
All in all, the Atlas is a adequate disciplinarian agent that charms us with its simple breeding and abundant functionality. Some of our admired autogenous touches were a flat-bottom council caster and an affluence of accumulator cubbies.
DRIVING IMPRESSIONS
Our tester has a 3.6-liter, six-cylinder agent that makes 276 horsepower. Car and Disciplinarian clocked a 0-60 mph time of 7.9 abnormal in the Atlas. The agent is akin to an eight-speed automated manual that goes about its business with quiet aplomb. Our tester comes with VW's able 4Motion all-wheel-drive arrangement for albino canicule like we accomplished this anniversary in the Chattanooga area.
As a circadian driver, the Atlas is composed and compliant. Council is abundantly ablaze for a agent this big, and the V-6 never seems annoyed by our affluence roads.
The atramentous covering seats in our tester were able-bodied bolstered and supportive. Hip room, abnormally in the advanced seats, is generous. Carpooling to soccer practice, our boys raved about the affluence of rear-seat leg room.
Parking such a big SUV is generally a concern, but our Atlas came able with a aerial appearance camera that makes capital parking a snap. If you bandy acrylic at Hamilton Place, it's on you.
BOTTOM LINE
Customers who accept waited decades for VW to aftermath a three-row SUV advised for the American bazaar will not be disappointed. Top assurance array and an industry arch new-vehicle assurance (six years or 72,000 miles) advice allowance the deal.
Contact Mark Kennedy at mkennedy@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6645. Follow him on Twitter @TFPCOLUMNIST. Subscribe to his Facebook updates at www.facebook.com/mkennedycolumnist.
