#ATLAS VOLKSWAGEN 2021 ANDROID#
#ATLAS VOLKSWAGEN 2021 PLUS#

A wireless charger is a nice touch.Ĭonfusingly, Volkswagen will offer both a 2021 and a 2021.5 Atlas we tested the former, which does without the latter’s wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto integration. We appreciated the variety of information it offered, including altitude, navigation, audio, fuel economy, and driver-assist status, as well as the reconfigurable cluster that made use of either two analog-looking dials or a minimalist four-square layout. The Volkswagen Atlas SEL comes standard with the company’s Digital Cockpit gauge cluster, which is both attractive and easy to use. Technology & Connectivity ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ 7/10 Loading it down with seven passengers might be a bit tight owing to its slightly pinched shoulder room, but if you have to haul that many people, you’re probably shopping for a minivan anyway. Owing to its decently spacious third row and sliding second row, the Atlas would be a good option for a family of five or six, with class-competitive head and legroom in all three rows. Major kudos go to VW for raising the third-row bench up off the cargo floor, the higher hip point improving comfort even for adult passengers. The tilt-and-slide release affords third-row access even with a child seat installed. The bench is flat as a pancake, but tall folks will appreciate a seat bottom that’s long enough for some thigh support. The second-row seats slide fore and aft, and in their forward-most position, there’s enough space for kids and young teens – adults will want to kick them back a few notches. Front passengers have more than enough space to get comfortable on a long trip, though the cushy, heated seats might be a bit too shapeless for all-day support. Somehow, the Atlas features large-crossover interior space in a midsize footprint. It looks nice, but a little suspension lift and some taller rubber would really sell the accessory’s off-road pretensions more.

#ATLAS VOLKSWAGEN 2021 PLUS#

The dealer-installed Basecamp kit costs $2,500, plus another $1,000 for the wheels. It also sports Fifteen52 Traverse MX 17-inch wheels. The vehicle we drove added the Basecamp accessory kit, which includes a satin silver front bumper guard, dark fender extensions with splash guards, satin silver rocker panels, a satin silver rear valance with a trailer hitch cutout, and unique Basecamp badges. The side profile and rear views are all but unchanged for 2021, with slightly redesigned taillights and not much else. A more delicately styled grille, beveled headlights, and nearly horizontal hood help the Atlas look more German – to this author’s eyes, the front end somehow recalls the lauded Golf Mk4 sold in the early 2000s. The 2021 Volkswagen Atlas is an okay-looking machine, particularly since its facelift did away with the blocky front end that made it look heavy and ungainly. Nevertheless, the seven-seat Atlas is VW’s number-three vehicle in terms of sales, and we appreciated its overall competence during a test of an SEL V6 4Motion model with the Basecamp accessory kit. But former Volkswagen owners will find themselves let down by the SUV’s disappointingly plasticky interior and forgettable (if inoffensive) styling. Perfectly average styling and driving behavior draw no ire, and we applaud the Atlas’ available advanced technology features and spacious interior. Unfortunately, it meets those consumer needs with none of the elan and poise that was once a hallmark of every Volkswagen product. A few styling and interior updates for 2021 bring the Atlas more in line with its funky, Teutonic forebears, but it’s still a distinctly American product, reflecting the changing values of VW and its buyers. The 2021 Volkswagen Atlas is the largest vehicle the company has ever sold in the US, a curious offering from a company that once extolled the virtues of buying the compact Beetle over a comparatively huge Chevy Biscayne.

Atlas volkswagen 2021