Volkswagen Introduces Atlas Cross Sport Concept
Last year, Volkswagen decided to drop the Touareg and introduce the three-row Atlas specifically to fill the U.S. market. However, in doing that, they created a new problem: there wasn’t something to fill the void between the compact Tiguan and the much larger Atlas SUV. Instead of introducing an all-new model, they just made the second-generation Tiguan larger to compensate. Job done! Well, not quite. Now Volkswagen has created a new substitute in the form of the recently revealed Atlas Cross Sport Concept.
The Touareg is still on sale in other global markets, but not in the U.S. While they also made the Tiguan larger, VW means this five-seat Atlas variant to fill the void the Touareg left behind. At 190.8 inches long, 68.3 inches tall and 79.9 inches wide, the Cross Sport is shorter and wider than the Atlas.
A notable difference between the Atlas Cross Sport and the normal, seven-seater Atlas comes down to the former’s plug-in hybrid powertrain. The Cross Sport Concept features a hybrid system, with a 3.6-liter V6 backed up by two electric motors. The V6 is the same as the normal Atlas – 276 horsepower and 266 lb-ft of torque. However, the electric motors bump total horsepower output up to 355. That’s enough punch, Volkswagen claims, to shift .the Atlas Cross Sport Concept to 60 in 5.4 seconds. A smaller, mild hybrid version with a 2.0 kWh may be available as well, with 310 horsepower. Unlike the Atlas and Tiguan, the Atlas Cross Sport Concept comes with a six-speed automatic transmission.
Apart from the the powertrain, the Atlas Cross Sport Concept features a 10.1-inch touchscreen infotainment system with gesture controls. As is the way with new Volkswagens these days, it also has a 12.3-inch digital cockpit. The Cross Sport has Volkswagen’s 4MOTION all-wheel drive system. Volkswagen will start producing this five-seater Atlas variant at its Chattanooga, Tennessee plant starting next year.
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