Good for America? Good for everyone
The Volkswagen Atlas is a large 5- or 7-seater 3-row SUV manufactured by Volkswagen Group (Germany) specifically for the American market. It is also sold in other markets and is sometimes known as the Teramont. It was unveiled at the 2017 Los Angeles Auto Show as a new 2018 model for the US and Canada. The SUV is perfect for long family trips. For the moment, the manufacturer can offer the first generation model, which was restyled in 2020. Israeli buyers can currently purchase the first generation Volkswagen Atlas, so we will try to find out more about it.
- For reference: The name ‘Atlas’ was given to the SUV in honor of the mighty Atlas, a Titan condemned to hold up the heavens.
The first generation
It has been produced from 2017 to the present, and was restyled in 2020 (as of 2021). The fact that the Atlas was made primarily for America is unmistakably determined by its exterior that looks a giant massive box with an aggressive front face, a huge 3-row interior, completely ungraceful, but making you believe that this vehicle will not get lost among elephant-like Ford and GM models on the highway.
The 2017/2018 Volkswagen Atlas clearly has a lot in common with the Touareg, but its angular exterior makes it look somewhat similar to the Jeep Grand Cherokee. The vehicle features an American-style prominent hood, muscular wheel arches, a wide radiator grille, standard LED headlights, and a slightly disharmoniously massive rear end, which provides a lot of space. However, despite the pronounced heaviness and conservatism of the exterior, the Atlas is very well balanced, thanks to which it is distinguished by excellent handling.
Power
The first generation Volkswagen Atlas comes with a 3.6-liter V6 engine with 280 hp or a 2-liter 4-cylinder engine with 238 hp. The Atlas is as powerful as its mythical ancient Greek ancestor. No, it won’t be capable of holding the Earth on its roof, but can easily tow 2.2 tons.
The engines installed on the Atlas are not only powerful, but also reliable, proven by millions of kilometers. The same highly efficient units are used on other powerful Volkswagen models, starting from the Golf GTI to the Audi Q7. That being said, it was quite strange that the 2018 model was initially available as a front-wheel drive version only. This is partly due to the fact that the Atlas is an SUV for driving on asphalt roads. So, it is not an off-road vehicle, and the maximum it is capable of is to drive off the asphalt onto a dirt road. But later, all-wheel drive models appeared.
Interior
It seems that the Atlas has inherited its dashboard from the legendary Passat, which is good, since it is one of the best ones. The VW Car-Net infotainment system is in the center of the dashboard and is flanked by a pair of large air vents. The vehicle supports standard Android Auto and Apple CarPlay connection to Volkswagen CarNet and MirrorLink.
The three-row interior is actually roomier than it appears from the outside. The second row slides back and forth like that of many competitors, but the Atlas has the ability to leave the child seat in the second row when it slides forward to access the outer rear seats, which is a big plus for a family car. The third row is arguably the most spacious in its class. The total volume of the interior is 2.7 cubic meters.
2020 restyling
The first generation Volkswagen Atlas was highly praised by the Americans. It received good reviews from the press and proved itself as a reliable, solid and practical SUV. At the 2020 Chicago Auto Show, Volkswagen presented the restyled 2021 Atlas, and gradually the SUV began to appear outside North America, for example, it arrived to Israel.
The restyled vehicle has become 6 cm longer. It has acquired the redesigned front face and wheels, new taillights and a new steering wheel. New options include the IQ.DRIVE function, a driver assistance system with semi-autonomous functions. There is now the Volkswagen Car-Net12 mobile application, which allows you to control your vehicle from a smartphone.
Safety
The 2018/2019 Volkswagen Atlas has a good IIHS crash test rating and an excellent forward collision avoidance test rating. And this is quite understandable. Having looked at the aggressive wide front face of the Atlas, reinforced by the rather ‘evil’ expression of the headlights, the crash wall simply ran away from the collision. Although the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) gave the Atlas an overall five-star safety rating, it rated its forward collision protection a ‘four’. They have probably never seen a Volkswagen with such an unfriendly face.
All 2018 models come standard with a rearview camera and post-collision braking system that automatically holds the vehicle in place after an accident is detected. There are six airbags, anti-lock brakes and stability control. After the 2020 restyling, the vehicle has acquired collision warning system, emergency braking, pedestrian detection and blind spot monitoring systems, adaptive cruise control and dynamic traffic sign display.
