Page 45 - SAM September 2019

AUTO REVIEW

In 2013, the Chairman of Volkswagen AG’s Supervisory Board, the base engine, which struggled to move the 4528 lbs Atlas when
Ferdinand Piech, famously stated, “We understand Europe, we I needed to hustle, so I’d recommend the V6. Front-wheel drive
understand China and we understand Brazil, but we only under- is standard, and V6 models can be ordered with all-wheel drive
stand the U.S. to a certain degree so far.” My interpretation of (AWD is standard on the SEL Premium).
that statement at the time was that Dr. Piech was extremely frus- All Atlases come with eight-speed automatic transmissions. Fuel
trated that VW’s then-CEO Martin Winterkorn had missed the economy figures are 20 MPG City/26 MPG Highway for the four
market shift in this country from sedans to SUVs and crossovers. cylinder engine and 18/25 MPG for the V6.
Someone at VW obviously listened, because six years later Volk- Atlas S models have cloth seating, a bench seat in the second
swagen’s U.S. sales are rising quickly thanks to SUVs and row, and automatic headlights. Forward collision mitigation, blind-
crossovers. spot monitoring, and rear cross-traffic alert are now standard
I recently tested Volkswagen’s biggest and most important SUV, across the line, as are Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Upgrad-
the Atlas, and concluded that the world’s second largest automaker ing to the SE adds keyless go, a power driver's seat, heated front
(after Toyota) seems to understand our market a lot better than seats, three-zone automatic climate control, a larger 8-inch touch-
they did in 2013. screen interface, and the option of captain's chairs in the second
A direct competitor to the huge selling Toyota Highlander, row. The SE with Technology adds remote engine start, power
Honda Pilot, and Ford Explorer, the Volkswagen Atlas is a mid- rear hatch, adaptive cruise control, lane keeping assist, and active
size SUV that features a base price of around $32,000, three rows blind-spot monitor. Selecting the SEL gets you a panoramic sun-
of seats, and plenty of space for the stuff American families need roof, LED taillights, heated steering wheel, hands-free rear hatch,
to lug around just driving to soccer practice. and Volkswagen Digital Cockpit. Digital Cockpit is basically VW’s
The exterior design of the Atlas is pretty vanilla – as are the version of Audi’s (excellent) Virtual Cockpit, a configurable screen
Highlander, Pilot, and Explorer designs – but appealing. Kind of that replaces the standard gauge cluster.
clunky and chunky with a distinct Volkswagen flavor is my take, As noted above, both the SE with Technology and the SEL are
and for moms and dads anxious to be driving something other available with the R-Line upgrade, which adds 20-inch wheels, a
than minivans that’s probably a good thing. few exterior tweaks, and some unique interior trim. An SEL Pre-
Inside, things get more interesting thanks to Volkswagen’s un- mium with even more doo-dads is also available.
adorned but perfectly good infotainment system. There’s little in Driving the Atlas is slightly more involving than its Japanese
the way of flashy graphics that dazzle during the test drive but and American competitors, but this is not a big boxy GTI (or
become annoying when you have to live with the car, and every- Tiguan for that matter). Hey, you’ve got a family now, so face re-
thing you need is where it’s supposed to be. The SatNav functions ality if you haven’t already – your vehicles are all about your kids
by punching in an address or saying your destination out loud and their friends, not you. Got it? Good.
using the voice recognition system, and working the audio system The Volkswagen Atlas is an excellent vehicle aimed at the heart
or HVAC is similarly easy: you either use the touchscreen or go of the most important automotive market niche in this country:
with the buttons and knobs on the center stack. Thank you Volk- the mid-size three-rows-of-seats family SUV. Given how good the
swagen for making things so easy and low stress. Atlas is, I’d say that VW now understands what American cus-
While the usability of the Atlas’ tech is excellent, the plastics tomers want quite well. I suspect that somewhere in Germany
and other materials in the cabin are not quite up to Ferdinand Piech is smiling.
Highlander/Pilot standards, something to keep in mind.
Atlas pricing starts at just over $30,000 and can climb up to al- To get your best deal on a new Volkswagen, call Phil Hornbeak
most $50,000 if you check all the boxes, which is in line with the at BCMS at 210-301-4367.
competition.
There are seven trim levels you can choose including, deep Stephen Schutz, MD, is a board-certified gastroen-
breath: S, SE, SE with Technology, SE with Technology R-Line, terologist who lived in San Antonio in the 1990s when
SEL, SEL R-Line and SEL Premium. The base S comes with a he was stationed here in the U.S. Air Force. He has
235 horsepower turbocharged four-cylinder engine, while all other been writing auto reviews for San Antonio Medicine since
trim levels come with a 276HP 3.6-liter V6. My tester came with 1995.

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