2027 VW Atlas Brings More Power, Fancy Tech for Second Generation
Posted by Redeemed_Expert9694@reddit | cars | View on Reddit | 69 comments
Posted by Redeemed_Expert9694@reddit | cars | View on Reddit | 69 comments
Barack_Odrama_007@reddit
Looks like Volkswagen is taking the Hyundai/Kia approach and loading it with features. Heated and ventilated seats on all trims, real wood trim on all trims. available massaging front seats and heated ventilated second row seats.
CrentistTheDentist@reddit
Before that was the Hyundai/Kia approach I would have called it the Volkswagen approach. Glad they seem to be going back to it. I’d argue it still lived on in the top trims of their cars to some degree. My 2018 Tiguan SEL Premium had heated real leather seats and steering wheel, auto folding mirrors, 360 camera, pano sunroof, customizable full screen virtual cockpit, LED headlights that turned with the car, cornering lights, auto high beams, auto wipers… before a lot of other non-luxury cars had a lot of these things and for about $40k.
No_Cherry_1423@reddit
If they do that and avoid the Hyundai/Kia issue of the car having an absolutely catastrophic flaw (easy to steal, kills your kid, guaranteed to fail after 75k miles) it should do great
andrewia@reddit
Ventilation and massage are not standard. It's mentioned nowhere in the press release or article. https://media.vw.com/releases/1914
earlyslalom@reddit
Heated and cooled seats and a heated steering wheel are standard on the outgoing model already
hopfield@reddit
That’s how the GLI is. Ventilated / heated seats, adaptive suspension, sunroof, leather, LSD, bigger brakes. Idk why anyone would buy an Si over it
vw18t@reddit
VW used to always have premium features on their mainline cars in the North American Market. The Passat 20 years ago was basically an Audi A4. But they were too expensive so they downgraded everything but now with this they seem to be going back
andrewia@reddit
I think things are slightly different this time. VW used to be a premium brand with great materials and quality, then moved down market to meet American expectations. But the Koreans are kicking their butts in materials, quality, features, and value. So now VW seems to be playing catch up.
ferkaderka@reddit
Weren't they "going back to buttons?" I guess that only meant the steering wheel.
andrewia@reddit
I think this generation was developed a bit too early to catch the newest generation of hardware debuting in the new ID.Polo. So it only gets the current gen of hardware, which is disappointing.
dsonger20@reddit
This has been out for 2 years or something as the Terramont in China I believe.
Bob_Loblawb@reddit
Teramont Pro was released in March 2025. Pics were leaked in late 2024.
BahnMe@reddit
I recently ordered the physical button kit for my Golf R. Got really tired of hitting the haptic buttons during spirited driving or the track.
stillpiercer_@reddit
You can set the heated seats and steering wheel to activate automatically based on outdoor temp. It’s very nice.
Peacox89@reddit
If you tap the climate slider with 2 fingers at the same time it will cycle through the heated seat levels for either side.
BahnMe@reddit
Works sometimes, not all the time and sometimes just delays, queues inputs and fucks it all up.
KSoMA@reddit
This is pretty simple. People have complained about blank buttons for decades, and not every Golf (in every market) has heated seats. The solution is to put this function in a screen where it can be removed without leaving a blatantly blank button on the center console.
bikedork5000@reddit
It does seem nonsensical from the outside. But you have to remember that these decisions are made by people who want to keep their jobs. And if you follow what at least seems to be a trend in your boss's eyes and get it wrong, you'll likely be ok. But if you insist to the boss that the trend is wrong and will be short lived, you are taking a huge risk. So the crowd goes a direction, and it takes a while to correct.
FreshStartLiving@reddit
Looks very Nissanesque
vw18t@reddit
Fun fact this Outsells the Honda Pilot in Canada
kyonkun_denwa@reddit
Maybe my research is wrong, but it appears that VW Atlas sales nosedived in Canada after 2022, dropping from 11,000 units to about 3,200. The Honda Pilot has remained steady at about 6,000 to 7,000 units per year.
https://www.goodcarbadcar.net/honda-pilot-sales-figures/
https://www.goodcarbadcar.net/volkswagen-atlas-sales-figures-usa-canada/
Also, cool Lexus, I also used to have an IS 250 MT. One of twenty-five sold in Canada for its model year. There are dozens of us! Dozens!
SavageryRox@reddit
where are you getting your data for Canadian Atlas sales?
EarthOk2418@reddit
Ya know…that’s a pretty solid looking 3-row SUV, inside and out. Love the classic boxy shape and the interior is definitely a move in the right direction.
Thomas_633_Mk2@reddit
Wood in the interior makes me a happy man
Recoil42@reddit
The first-gen Atlas is really under-appreciated. It's no Lamborghini or anything, of course, but it does a strikingly good balance of "masculine" and "family hauler". This looks like a really solid improvement to that design language. Well done, Volkswagen.
tman2damax11@reddit
Test drove one a few months ago with a relative. We were both absolutely shocked at how nice the interior materials were and how everything felt rock solid put together. Also by far the most comfortable seats in the segment. Soft and quiet ride too. Coming from my only experience with VW being older Golfs and Jettas that felt like tin cans, these are really nice vehicles.
5GCovidInjection@reddit
Seems like the Atlas is actually one of the more reliable VWs.
Trades46@reddit
That is funny as the Gen 1 Atlas was referred to as a VW Grand Cherokee, but it ends up being a far better vehicle than the problem prone Jeep.
Roboticpoultry@reddit
They’re also great at needing water pump replacements after 35k
TwelveTrains@reddit
Maybe the most horrible vehicle I have ever driven. Felt like an aircraft carrier.
bundeywundey@reddit
From the side the fender makes it look like the hood is cracked open. Other than that I like it.
EarthOk2418@reddit
Yeah that was a design choice of the outgoing generation of Audis too. Not having a cut line up top helps with aerodynamics, but from the side it can look odd, especially on lighter colors.
amga45canadawhen@reddit
Seems promising, but that torque figure is awfully low for an SUV of this size.
No_Cherry_1423@reddit
I doubt anybody buying a VW minds
Trades46@reddit
258lb/ft is usually the torque limit of certain transmissions, but this looks like it retained the Aisin sourced 8spd automatic, so I don't think it is that. Fuel economy perhaps?
smokeey@reddit
Pretty sure that is exactly why. They could easily fit the dq381 in there under more economical tuning and hit 295lb/ft. My guess is they had a price point they wanted to hit and chose to spend that money somewhere else.
Captain_Mazhar@reddit
Different cams and timing optimized for efficiency rather than torque.
IBelieveInSymmetry11@reddit
I'm curious about this change. Did they learn something since they put this high horsepower EA888 into the Atlas? Maybe it's a smoother, maybe better fuel economy?
John_Costco@reddit
Big long front end with little 4 banger in it. Oops no physical buttons that'll be in the refresh in a couple years. Yeah it looks like a Ford and it's made in America to American specs and won't be sold in Europe because we're using that factory to make missiles for Israel but it's German engineering trust us. Yeah $60,000 and worse than the child killing Hyundai but you'll buy this slop the screen is bigger 👍
smokeey@reddit
Ea888 in these is just such a disappointment. A modern NA 5cyl or Chinese 2.5 VR6 is way better. They don't have strict emissions standards to meet in the US.
TwelveTrains@reddit
Maybe the most horrible vehicle I have ever driven. Felt like an aircraft carrier.
joeislandstranded@reddit
What’s a VW Atlas? A van thingy?
sunandst4rs@reddit
Three row SUV
joeislandstranded@reddit
A minivan without sliding doors?
Redeemed_Expert9694@reddit (OP)
lol in this day and age, SUV does not imply BoF
joeislandstranded@reddit
What does imply a BoF with a low range transfer case then?
Drzhivago138@reddit
"Off-roader", typically.
UniqueThanks@reddit
No hybrid until the mid cycle refresh? wtf is VWOA doing?
nguyenlucky@reddit
Glad they ditched the stupid (and banned) electric door handle in the Chinese Teramont Pro.
Gcs1110@reddit
Got any more of em manual transmissions?
007meow@reddit
Whaaat it’s legal to make an SUV that’s not just grille dominated?
Why hasn’t anyone told the other OEMs?
Alive_Internet@reddit
I really dig the exterior design. It looks nicer and even more premium than the Grand Highlander.
Blaze4G@reddit
Heck, it looks just as good if not better than the Lexus TX.
user289734@reddit
Ugly as hell compared to the outgoing one
Weak-Specific-6599@reddit
Looks are subjective. I own a 2018 and I feel that is the best looking Atlas, but that is just my opinion.
Blaze4G@reddit
It really is. I thought the atlas was always ugly. Just looked like a plain vehicle with no design. The current one looks okay to nice. This one I think looks great!
stillpiercer_@reddit
I wouldn’t call this a downgrade, it just looks like pretty much everything else on the road. The outgoing Atlas is not what I’d describe as an attractive design. Don’t get me started on the Cross Sport.
PretendLength1710@reddit
just looked up the specs telluride got 311 lb-ft torque that shits on the atlas 273. palisade actually got less at 262. vw playing features game but drivetrain midpack fr
stillpiercer_@reddit
Still wouldn’t catch me willingly purchasing a Kia drivetrain
WatchStoredInAss@reddit
Looks like a minivan. Haha.
ArdillasVoladoras@reddit
Only 2 seats in the third row, they must watch The Car Mom videos for every time she shits on 3 tiny seats back there.
Redeemed_Expert9694@reddit (OP)
Only two seats, but the Atlas is one of the few that has adult space in the third row
ArdillasVoladoras@reddit
I'm glad they didn't cave just to up seat count. 2 seats are superior even for kids.
Weak-Specific-6599@reddit
Yep. The Atlas is the only mid-size 3-row I can fit my 6’1” frame in comfortably.
StanknBeans@reddit
Previous gen was the same setup
IAmWellBehaved@reddit
Looks like a pretty solid effort all the way around. The design, interior, and equipment (so long as the price doesn't rise dramatically) should make for a solid package. The one weakness on paper is the weak numbers from this version of the 2.0T, but that's about it.
The Atlas has been a relative success for VW, quietly outselling in recent years vehicles like the Acadia, so no doubt VW wants to continue this star within their lineup.
andrewia@reddit
VW is bringing an impressive suite of standard features. ADAS, 9-speaker audio, ambient lighting, pleather, and wood trim will make the base models feel fancy. It's too bad this didn't get the new tacile stuff from the Polo, but the mode dial and steering wheel buttons are nice. The biggest questions are price and MPG, which is where the Palisade/Telluride are strongest. It feels like VW is announcing this a bit early to try and get buyers to wait instead of buying from the Koreans right now.
Also, here's the original press release: https://media.vw.com/releases/1914
SomesortofPalsy@reddit
Ew
JiffyParker@reddit
Seems all over the place. Interior is a nightmare