VW has announced that a brand new variant of their Atlas SUV will be unveiled at the 2018 NY Auto Show, based on the MQB platform but featuring 5 instead of 7 seats.
We have been waiting for such an announcement ever since the automaker’s North American region boss, Hinrich Woebcken, stated last year that more Atlas variants were coming. We also know that VW previously trademarked the names Atlas Allsport and Cross Sport, so this new car could very well adopt one of the two monikers.
“The Atlas has built strong momentum for Volkswagen in the SUV segment, and we are excited to grow our SUV portfolio with this new, Chattanooga-assembled five-passenger SUV,” said Woebcken. “We are not only committed to this market, we are committed to our U.S. manufacturing home in Chattanooga, Tennessee.”
While we don’t have much to go on when it comes to its styling (sketches tend to exaggerate things a lot), a Coupe-like rear end might be in play judging from that sloping roof design and relatively short C-Pillar. As for the front end design, it seems very aggressive compared to what we get with the 7-seat Atlas, almost a mixture between the latter and the Arteon.
VW will invest some $340 million in order to launch the new 5-seater Atlas, in addition to the $900 million it already invested in order to prep the Chattanooga plant for the arrival of the regular, 7-seat model.
The new 5-seat Atlas will be VW’s third model assembled there, along with the original Atlas and the Passat.
