#2018 VOLKSWAGEN ATLAS DRIVERS#
#2018 VOLKSWAGEN ATLAS DRIVER#
#2018 VOLKSWAGEN ATLAS MANUAL#
#2018 VOLKSWAGEN ATLAS FULL#

This is a family car after all, and screaming kids don’t really care about the matte finish on your walnut dashboard accents. The Atlas’ cabin certainly isn’t ugly – it’s actually quite comfortable and upscale – but aesthetics take a literal backseat to cargo space, practicality, and easy-to-maneuver chairs.

#2018 VOLKSWAGEN ATLAS FULL#

In many cars, the interior is a design exercise, full of cascading lines and trim pieces meant to flow together harmoniously like a watercolor painting. Speaking of power, the optional 12-speaker Fender audio system is spectacular, with a big bass punch and crystal clear playback regardless of seating position. The base Atlas S has two USB ports and a 12-volt power outlet up front, and on SE trims and above, two more appear in the center console alongside a 115-volt power plug. Outside of all the fancy stuff, the Atlas has you covered with the basics like power outlets and USB ports. You can even plug the map in between the gauges so your eyes stay focused on what’s ahead of you.

#2018 VOLKSWAGEN ATLAS DRIVER#

Fuel economy numbers, driver assistance information, media settings, and off-road figures like driving angle and altitude can be highlighted in different ways.

#2018 VOLKSWAGEN ATLAS DRIVERS#

Replacing boring analog gauges with futuristic eye candy, the 12.3-inch Digital Cockpit is fully customizable, allowing drivers to place what’s most useful to them right in front of their eyes. Our favorite tech feature on the Atlas sits directly ahead of the driver, and it’s dubbed the Digital Cockpit. There are more tech features in the Atlas than in any other VW, but you don’t need a college course to understand them.

#2018 VOLKSWAGEN ATLAS MANUAL#

VW has done that with the Atlas, because even though there are more tech highlights here than in any other VW, you don’t need to attend a college course or even open the owner’s manual to understand them. It’s easy to shove a bunch of high-tech features into a car, but making them work together in an intuitive way is much more difficult. It skillfully avoids the much-chagrined “standby soccer coach” look, and we think the styling will age well in years to come. Instead of the smooth, elegant aesthetic you find in many crossovers and minivans, the Atlas is a bonafide chunk, with sharp angles and squared-off proportions littering the grill, fenders, rear fascia, and even the cabin. No matter which trim you choose, though, you’ll the bold and brawny styling you’d expect from a car named the Atlas. For $49,415 (including destination charges), you get all-wheel drive, a 3.6-liter V6 with 267 hp and 266 lb-ft, leather seats in all three rows, an 8-inch touchscreen, gigantic panoramic sunroof, 12-speaker Fender audio system, a myriad of driver assist systems, and the Digital Cockpit. That version wasn’t available at launch, however, so our tester – the range-topping V6 SEL Premium 4Motion – sat on the opposite end of the economic spectrum. Standard features are quite nice for an entry-level choice, and they include a 6.5-inch touchscreen, LED headlights, Bluetooth, Apple CarPlay, and Android Auto. The base model includes a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder that produces 235 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque, and it sends that power to the front wheels via an eight-speed automatic transmission. The Atlas offers six trim levels – the S, S Launch Model, SE, SE w/ Tech, SEL, and SEL Premium – and they range in price from $30,500 all the way up to almost $50,000.

That’s because the crossover is built atop the same scalable MQB platform that underpins everything from the VW Golf to Czechoslovakia’s Skoda Kodiaq, Much of the Atlas’ equipment – such as the basic infotainment system and engine choices – can be found in other VW products, but options like the Digital Cockpit instrument cluster are debuts for the brand. The Atlas is an all-new vehicle for the 2018 model year, but it’s not a complete stranger. Mercedes-Benz EQE SUV first drive review: ’90s look, cutting-edge techĢ022 Mercedes-Benz EQB first drive review: An EV better than its gas siblingĢ023 Kia Sportage Hybrid first drive review: Style and substance

2018 volkswagen atlas