Chattanooga-made Volkswagen Atlas unveiled [photos]

VW said the SUV was designed to appeal to North American consumers in every way you define that. From what Ive seen and read, theyve nailed it.

VW ATLAS SUV

* Production in Chattanooga to start late this year; for sale at dealerships in spring 2017* Seating for seven passengers, including two adults in the third row with innovative access system* Two engine options: four-cylinder TSI turbo or VR6, both with eight-speed automatic transmission* At 198.3” long, 77.9” wide, and 69.6” high, Atlas is larger than any VW on sale in the U.S.* Five trim levelsSource: Volkswagen

The biggest Volkswagen ever assembled in America - the Chattanooga-made Atlas sport utility vehicle - was unveiled Thursday amid hopes that it will help the automaker chart a new course.

Three years after the German carmaker launched the concept at the Detroit auto show, the seven-passenger SUV was shown off in California with the aim of appealing to the tastes of American motorists and boosting the brand's lagging sales.

Hinrich J. Woebcken, chief of Volkswagen's North America region, said the 2018 Atlas is designed for "the heart of the American market."

"This is the biggest and boldest Volkswagen we have ever built in the United States, delivering the distinctive design and craftsmanship we're known for," he said.

The Atlas arrives with a full slate of available driver assistance and technology features, an expansive interior and a choice of two powertrains, according to VW, but not a diesel engine.

The SUV is the result of a $900 million expansion at the company's Chattanooga factory, and the vehicle is based on VW's innovative modular transverse matrix platform.

That production process enables VW to design vehicles ranging from a three-door hatchback to an SUV, for example, and virtually share the same front axle, pedal box and engine positioning.

The SUV, which will hit dealerships early next year, was revealed at the Santa Monica Pier at the end of Route 66.

Bill Kilbride, the Chattanooga Area Chamber of Commerce's CEO, said he's hopeful the SUV is part of helping VW move on from the diesel-emission scandal that has consumed the automaker for more than a year.

"We want it to be wildly successful," he said. "VW said the SUV was designed to appeal to North American consumers in every way you define that. From what I've seen and read, they've nailed it."

While the Atlas is larger than any other VW on sale in the U.S., the company said it "retains classic proportions and clean lines that create a sense of timelessness and precision."

The Atlas offers a 2.0-liter turbocharged and direct-injection TSI four-cylinder engine with 238 horsepower, according to VW. Or, it can house a 3.6-liter VR6 engine with 280 horsepower.

Either engine routes power through an eight-speed transmission to help maximize engine efficiency, and the Atlas can be configured either as front-wheel-drive or with available 4Motion all-wheel-drive in VR6 trims.

The 4Motion system has a driving mode selection feature that allows the driver to select specific parameters based on driving conditions, the automaker said.

EPA fuel economy estimates will be released ahead of the sale of the vehicle next spring.

Pricing wasn't announced, but it's believed it will compete with similar class vehicles such as the Ford Explorer, Toyota Highlander, and Honda Pilot.

Up front, the SUV boasts standard LED headlights and LED daytime running lights. There's optional LED taillights to complete the look, according to the automaker.

Inside, the Atlas' third row can be reached by an innovative folding seat solution, one that works even with child seats installed in the second row, the company said.

The SUV's available Volkswagen digital cockpit allows drivers to reconfigure how they view vehicle information.

"Simple, driver-centric displays enhance the feeling behind the wheel rather than distracting from it," the company said.

Rebecca Lindland, senior analyst at Kelley Blue Book, said VW's sales of SUVs in the U.S. haven't suffered as a result of the emissions issue. While overall VW sales in America are down 12.7 percent through September, its Tiguan small SUV is up 36 percent.

"What has suffered is its reputation," Lindland said. "They need to work on getting that reputation back, getting consumers to consider its products again."

The new SUV can help VW do that, she said.

"Having a new product with all the bells and whistles, having the technology consumers demand, it can be a competitive product," Lindland said.

To meet the digital needs of motorists, the SUV has an available Volkswagen Car-Net system. It provides a suite of connected vehicle services, including standard technology that offers integration with the three major smartphone platforms - Apple CarPlay, Android Auto and MirrorLink, the carmaker said.

The Atlas will offer available driver assistance features that had previously been reserved for premium SUVs and at an affordable level, the carmaker said. These include adaptive cruise control, forward collision warning and autonomous emergency braking (Front Assist), blind spot monitor with rear traffic alert, lane departure warning, and parking steering assistant (Park Assist).

Also, VW said the Atlas is the only vehicle in its class to offer the automatic post-collision braking system. It's based on the premise that a collision is rarely a single, instantaneous action, but rather a series of events that follow the initial impact - the most significant of which can cause additional collisions. The system addresses this by applying the brakes when a primary collision is detected by the airbag sensors, according to the automaker.

The vehicle also features an available Fender premium audio system that VW says is the most sophisticated yet seen in a VW, with 12 channels, a 480-watt amplifier and 12 speakers.

Full production of the Atlas will start late this year and be assembled alongside the Passat sedan, which has been made in Chattanooga since 2011. The company is bringing on 1,100 more workers at the plant between now and mid-April 2017, which will push total headcount to about 3,400.

"Atlas" was a mythological Titan condemned to hold up the sky for eternity.

Woebcken said the Atlas marks a brand-new journey for Volkswagen to enter into the American market.

"The VW brand fits so perfectly in this market, especially with the heritage of the brand with the Beetle and Microbus," he said. "It's a great opportunity to continue that story on a broader and stronger basis."

Contact Mike Pare at mpare@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6318.

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