2018 Volkswagen Atlas revealed

Volkswagen’s crossover range always had some room at the top for a large seven seater SUV. Now the German manufacturer has made a step to fill that void with the VW Atlas. The American-made large SUV comes with seven seats and two punchy engines. The Atlas will also be the second VW product to be produced at the company’s Chattanooga, Tennessee plant, after the Passat.

The looks are typical VW-ish with not a lot in terms of extravagant detailing. The lines are crisp, sedate and clean, all conforming to the VW design language. The Atlas looks similar to the Touareg from the front. Even though the Atlas is built on the MQB platform that underpin small cars like the Audi A3 and the VW Golf, VW promises that the it will provide ample room for seven passengers and their luggage.

VW hasn’t skimped out on equipment with the Atlas. The SUV will get an infotainment system compatible with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay with a 12-speaker Fender audio system. The Volkswagen Digital Cockpit also finds its way into the interior of the Atlas. The bundle of safety features on offer include adaptive cruise control, lane departure warning, park assist, autonomous emergency braking, and a post-collision braking system which stops the car from moving if it gets involved in an initial collision.

The line-up of engines includes a 4-cylinder turbocharged model along with a V6. The 2.0-litre turbocharged 4-cylinder engine does duty in the base models of the Atlas. It is capable of producing 238 hp while the 3.6-litre V6 engine puts out 280 hp. Both these engines are mated to an 8-speed dual-clutch gearbox. The V6 will be offered with an optional all-wheel drive setup while the 4-cylinder is FWD only.

The Atlas will be shown at the 2016 Los Angeles Auto Show this November. Expect a UAE and GCC debut after summer next year.