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VW Atlas designers say Chattanooga-made SUV made for Americans

Staff Photo by Dan Henry / The Chattanooga Times Free Press- 11/1/16. The all-new Volkswagen Atlas is unveiled to Volkswagen Chattanooga employees during a quarterly all-team meeting, on Tuesday, Nov. 1, 2016. The Atlas will be in production late this year and hit dealerships spring 2017.
Staff Photo by Dan Henry / The Chattanooga Times Free Press- 11/1/16. The all-new Volkswagen Atlas is unveiled to Volkswagen Chattanooga employees during a quarterly all-team meeting, on Tuesday, Nov. 1, 2016. The Atlas will be in production late this year and hit dealerships spring 2017. Staff Photo by Dan Henry / The Chattanooga Times Free Press- 11/1/16. The all-new Volkswagen Atlas is unveiled to Volkswagen Chattanooga employees during a quarterly all-team meeting, on Tuesday, Nov. 1, 2016. The Atlas will be in production late this year and hit dealerships spring 2017.

By Staff Report 1 min read

THE LATEST: Volkswagen starts series production of new Atlas SUV in Chattanooga.

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ORIGINAL STORY: The designers behind the Chattanooga-made 2018 Volkswagen Atlas said Wednesday the two-year process of crafting the sport utility vehicle was driven by a well-researched look at how Americans live with their vehicles.

“I think we developed something that takes us apart from the breed,” said Klaus Bischoff, head of Volkswagen design. “We looked deep into how Americans are living with their midsize SUVs, and we wanted to get the Atlas right.”

The new seven-passenger SUV is on display at the press lead-in to the Los Angeles Auto Show.