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Officials say Chattanooga-made SUV will be exported to markets around the globe

Staff Photo by Dan Henry / Volkswagen Chattanooga Chief Executive Officer Christian Koch unveiled the new Volkswagen Atlas to employees during a quarterly all-team meeting last week. The Atlas will be in production late this year and hit dealerships in spring 2017.
Staff Photo by Dan Henry / Volkswagen Chattanooga Chief Executive Officer Christian Koch unveiled the new Volkswagen Atlas to employees during a quarterly all-team meeting last week. The Atlas will be in production late this year and hit dealerships in spring 2017.

By Mike Pare 4 min read

Factory workers need to focus to show the world that Volkswagens built in Chattanooga are the best in the midsize segment.

While Volkswagen officials can’t wait to ship the new Chattanooga-made Atlas to American dealers to boost sales, the sport utility vehicle also will be exported worldwide, including to Russia.

Company officials said the SUV was designed and built for Americans, but they foresee tapping into countries in Central America, South America, the Middle East and even in markets such as Russia, Belarus and South Korea.

Hinrich J. Woebcken, chief of Volkswagen’s North America region, said in California last month that the Atlas SUV that will be available at dealerships this spring will deliver “the distinctive design and craftsmanship we’re known for.”

“We will also export this to other countries in the world,” he added.