Three-row crossover utility vehicles are popular and they are putting a real pinch on minivan and sedan sales across the showrooms. And while they have been around for some time now there apparently is still room for competition as Volkswagen has just rolled out its entry into the segment, dubbed Atlas.
2018 VW Atlas/Images courtesy Volkswagen
The Volkswagen Atlas is currently the largest vehicle in the VW showroom with seating for up to seven and room for (some) cargo in the rear. Sure, we have seen images of piles of folks cramming into Beetles and Microbuses decades ago, but Atlas is the current high occupancy “people’s vehicle” and it came as no surprise how well it drove and rode. Atlas is built on the MQB midsize global architecture shared with Passat and is assembled alongside the midsize sedan in Tennessee. The CUV is offered in front- and 4Motion all-wheel drive running gear and powered by turbocharged four-cylinder or V-6 gas engines.
We recently spent the week with the 2018 VW Atlas in SEL trim powered by the 3.6-liter V-6 engine and in 4Motion running gear. It came as no surprise how well the vehicle performed as I have been impressed with all of Volkswagen’s products in recent years. Atlas rides very stable and smooth and exhibits very good manners on road. The V-6 engine provided plenty of power during acceleration and through the powerband. An 8-speed automatic transmission is mated to both Atlas engines and features smooth shifting as well as manual shift mode. Drivers can choose one of several drive modes including normal, sport, and eco. I spent time between normal and sport depending on my mood and type steering and throttle response I wanted. My least favorite feature is the automatic (but driver defeatable) start/stop technology but it is supposed to help fuel economy a bit and Atlas needs all the help it can get in that arena.
The new Atlas is an evolution of the CrossBlue concept that debuted in 2013 on the auto show circuits. Gone is the plug-in hybrid technology but styling and other features are close to the concept. Atlas features more straight lines than curves and kept reminding me of the Jeep Grand Cherokee, especially from the rear. Its competitive set includes Explorer, Highlander, and Pilot and offers nearly all the amenities as those models, depending on trim. Some of those include large, color touchscreen infotainment atop center dash along with creature comforts like leather, heated seats, fold-flat second and third-row seats, sliding second-row seating, panoramic power sunroof, premium audio, remote engine start and keyless ignition, etc.
Some of the highlights of the new safety technology offered includes rearview camera system, adaptive cruise control, forward collision warning and autonomous braking with pedestrian detection, park distance control front and rear, park assist, lane departure warning with lane assist, blind spot monitor with rear cross traffic alert, and intelligent crash response system with automatic post-collision braking. I would also add the 4Motion with Active Control to the list. We got a freak sleet shower with the arrival of the first real cold front and I put the Atlas into snow mode and it handled great despite slick road surfaces. I always had ample traction as this technology not only splits power front to rear up to 50/50 but can provide traction to individual wheels left and right. This system also works in off-road modes, but I never got the opportunity to remove the Atlas from paved surfaces.
The 2018 VW Atlas rides on a four-wheel independent suspension of struts and coil springs with telescopic dampers up front and multilink architecture with coil springs and telescopic dampers in the rear. Steering is rack and pinion with electric power assist and is speed-sensitive. In normal drive mode, the steering is somewhat vague which I found perfectly fine in most driving situations. When I wanted more feedback I simply switched drive modes over to sport. This tester Atlas rode on 18-inch alloy wheels with all-season tires but Volkswagen offers Atlas with up to 20-inch wheels.
Trim levels for the 2018 Atlas include S, SE, SE with technology, SEL, and SEL Premium. Pricing begins at just over 30 grand with our Premium V-6 4Motion tester coming in at $43,615. Fuel economy is rated at 17 mpg city and 23 mpg highway but we saw a bit less than this while traveling mostly in town. Good news on the warranty front is that Volkswagen now offers 6 years/72,000 miles new vehicle warranty on its models including the 2018 Atlas.
It may not be ahead of the three-row crossover game, but the late entry into the segment has the 2018 VW Atlas ready and willing to take on the mainstays. This just in: As I was writing this article, my phone notified me of a news alert. It seems Cars.com just picked the new Volkswagen Atlas as tops in a three-row family hauler shootout against the likes of the new Chevy Traverse, Honda Pilot, and Toyota Highlander. Kudos, Volkswagen, so thanks to Cars.com for confirming what I found during my week of testing.
“With as many as eight seats, three-row SUVs are the vehicles of choice for families that prefer the styling and optional all-wheel drive of an SUV over a minivan,” said Jennifer Newman, Cars.com editor-in-chief. “The market has changed some since our last three-row Challenge, so we tested last year’s winner, the Honda Pilot, against three significant competitors – one updated, one fully redesigned and one new to the market. Volkswagen’s first SUV with a standard three rows of seats won this competition by one of the larger margins in Cars.com Challenge history,” said Newman. “The all-new three-row SUV stole the show with its refined driving manners, ample passenger and cargo space, and easy-to-use technology.”
