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Volkswagen announces new Atlas SUV for the USA

volkswagen-atlas-3Volkswagen has announced the new Atlas SUV which will slot into its US range between the Tiguan and Touareg. The new car will also be offered in Russian and Middle Eastern markets, and initially, at least, will be sold with petrol engines.

The company says the Atlas launches a new chapter in the company’s American history. The new model will be built in Chattanooga (Tennessee) for the North American market and is claimed to offer innovative technology and spaciousness.

“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, now with room for seven,” said Hinrich J. Woebcken, Volkswagen CEO of North America Region.

Volkswagen says midsize SUVs formed a tenth of all new registrations in the USA in 2015. For the first time, Volkswagen’s Atlas now offers a model in this high-volume class in the category between the Tiguan and the Touareg that is fully tailored to American needs.

The Atlas is built on the modular transverse matrix (MQB) from Volkswagen. Up front, standard LED headlights and LED Daytime Running Lights combine for a distinctive signature, with optional LED taillights. With a length of 5,037 mm, a width of 1,979 mm and a height of 1,768 mm the Atlas is larger than any other Volkswagen on sale in the USA.

Inside,the Atlas offers space for seven adults and their luggage. The optional Active Info Display (called the “Volkswagen Digital Cockpit” in the USA) allows drivers extensive options for configuring the display.

volkswagen-atlas-6Volkswagen Car-Net offers a wide range of online services, including standard App-Connect technology that offers integration with the three major smartphone platforms – Apple CarPlay, Android Auto and MirrorLink. The new Atlas model also features a Fender® Premium AudioSystem with twelve speakers and a 480 Watt amplifier.

The Atlas offers a selection of driver assistance features. Depending on the equipment line, these include: Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC); Forward Collision Warning and Autonomous Emergency Braking (Front Assist); Blind Spot Monitor with Rear Traffic Alert; Lane Departure Warning (Lane Assist), and Parking Steering Assistant (Park Assist).

The Atlas is also the only vehicle in its class to offer the Automatic Post-Collision Braking System. This automatically initiates a deceleration of the vehicle when a primary collision is detected by the airbag sensors, thus helping reduce residual kinetic energy and, in turn, the chance of additional damage.

The new Volkswagen Atlas arrives with a choice of two powertrains: a 2.0- liter four-cylinder TSI with gasoline direct injection and turbo charging and the 3.6-liter VR6 engine. Both engines route power through an eight-speed transmission.

The Atlas can be configured either as front-wheel-drive or with 4Motion all- wheel-drive in combination with the VR6 engine.The 4Motion system has a Driving Mode Selection feature that allows the driver to select specific parameters based on driving conditions.

The Atlas will be built alongside the Passat for North America at the Volkswagen Chattanooga assembly plant (Tennessee). Volkswagen has invested an additional €900 million in the facility. Volkswagen says the Chattanooga plant is the only automotive manufacturing facility in the world to receive Platinum certification for its environmental excellence by the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED) program.

From the end of 2017 the Atlas will also be offered in the Russian and Middle Eastern markets.

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