Volkswagen is fully aware that Americans like their SUVs. So the recently introduced three-row Atlas, which first arrived for the 2018 model year, is already receiving an update. The built-for-the-U.S. (and built in Chattanooga, Tennessee) people hauler gets a restyled front and rear end, including the grille, head- and taillights and updates to the interior. It also grows 3 inches.
VW hopes you find the new design bold and more expressive. While the changes are subtle, they do go in the expressive direction. If you want people to really notice you, VW offers an R-Line Atlas with extra cladding, black vents and 21-inch diameter wheels. Maybe you’ll be seen while stuck in a traffic jam, for example. If that’s the case, the Atlas also offers a new system called Traffic Jam Assist, where the car handles stopping, going and staying in the lane for you, as long as it’s under 37 mph.
Inside, you have a newly designed steering wheel, double-stitched leather seats and an 8-inch touchscreen in the center console handling infotainment duties. Also, wireless phone charging will be available. And for the first time, whether you get the V6 or I4, all-wheel drive is available. Volkswagen calls it 4Motion.
As updates go, the 2021 Atlas is on the minor side. The powertrain is the same. You still choose between a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder making 235 hp at 4,500 rpm and 258 lb-ft of torque at 1,600 rpm or a 3.6-liter narrow-angle V6 making a touch more: 276 hp at 6,200 rpm and 266 lb-ft at 2,750 rpm. And either engine still channels through an eight-speed automatic transmission before making its way to either the front, or all four, wheels.
The 2021 VW Atlas will be revealed at the 2020 Chicago Auto Show and come available in spring.
If the Atlas is too big for you, VW says something is coming smaller than the Tiguan. The company didn’t give any details, but said it is for the U.S. market and should arrive in summer 2021. As we learn more, we will definitely share.
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