Major refresh of Atlas family
boasts many interior upgrades
 
(July 20, 2023) HERNDON, Va.  —The seven-passenger Volkswagen Atlas offers competitive levels of technology and spaciousness combined with hallmark Volkswagen driving dynamics and attention to detail, all at a price designed to draw attention in the crowded family SUV segment. The refreshed 2024 model offers enhanced technology, upgraded interior designs and materials, and a livelier powertrain.

Atlas makes a style statement from the front. Outside, model year 2024 brings a new front end design and greater differentiation between Atlas and Atlas Cross Sport. A wide chrome four-bar grille is framed by LED headlights with the newly standard Adaptive Front-lighting System (AFS); SEL Premium R-Line models feature a gloss-black grille.

Daytime Running Lights (DRLs) wrap around the headlights for a clean design and, on all but base trims, continue into an illuminated light bar that sits atop of an illuminated VW logo, giving the vehicle an unmistakable premium look. A new front fascia with integrated air intakes completes the front end treatment.

Headlight designs feature standard full-LED lighting, including low beams, high beams, and Daytime Running Lights (DRLs); taillights are LEDs as well. For model year 2024, 900-lumen LED headlights with Volkswagen’s Adaptive Front-lighting System (AFS) and automatic headlamps and rain-sensing windshield wipers are standard across the lineup.

For 2024, VW is adding a Peak Edition appearance trim, which it debuted at this year's New York auto show. The addition will give Atlas six trim levels in all, with front-wheel drive standard on the base SE and SE with Tech trims, and all-wheel drive standard on the top four trims. Atlas pricing will start at $39,075, including delivery.

The face of Atlas Peak Edition models immediately stands out from other Atlas trims with a rugged front fascia and underbody cladding in silver. A gloss-black “X” design element stretches across the lower fascia, borrowed from Atlas Cross Sport. Two chrome strips pop on an otherwise blacked-out grille, flowing to either side of the illuminated logo.

Moving around the side of Peak Edition models, a large gloss-black badge adorns the front quarter panel with the Peak Edition logo in orange and chrome, meeting rugged side sills in black and silver. Black mirror caps, window surround, and roof rails complete the black-out look in profile.

Overhead, roof rails are standard. They are black on the SE, SE with Technology and Peak Edition models and silver on SEL models and above. A large panoramic sunroof, measuring about 4.5 feet by 3 feet, with a two-part glass opening system and powered sunshade, is available on SE w/ Technology models and standard on Peak Edition SE w/ Tech models and above.

At the back, a chromed “Atlas” name strip sits above a sculpted rear bumper. On Peak Edition models, the name strip is black with chrome lettering, to match a rugged black and silver diffuser with chrome exhaust bezels. All but base trims mirror the front lighting signature in the rear with an illuminated light bar and VW logo sitting between the LED taillights. Model year 2024 brings a larger spoiler than the outgoing model, lengthening the overall roofline of the vehicle and giving it a sleeker side profile.

All trims get new wheel designs for 2024. Eighteen-inch machined aluminum-alloy wheels wrapped in 245/60 all-season tires are standard, with 20-inch machined alloys with 255/50 all-season tires on SE with Technology and SEL models. SEL Premium R-Line trims up the ante with 21-inch two-tone machined alloy wheels with 265/45 all-season tires. Peak Edition models feature 18-inch black alloy wheels equipped with 255/60 all-terrain tires, bolstering the versatility of the Atlas.



All Atlas models are propelled by one of the most advanced Volkswagen engines ever built, the new “Evo4” 2.0-liter four-cylinder TSI EA888 engine. Producing 269 horsepower and 273 lb-ft of torque with regular fuel — an increase of 34 horsepower and 15 lb-ft over the previous generation four-cylinder engine — it offers similar horsepower and more torque over a broader rev range (1600-4500 rpm) than previous six-cylinder models.

Combining direct fuel injection and turbocharging to balance efficiency and power, modifications to the 1,984 cc Evo4 engine include new fuel injectors along with an increase in injection pressure from 200 bar (2,900 psi) to 350 bar (5,076 psi). Improvements to reduce internal engine friction include a new balancer shaft design that already utilized roller bearings, a narrower oil pump drive chain, a simplified valve-gear drive-chain tensioner, and a new throttle valve that reduces air leakage.


The interior design of the Atlas is classic Volkswagen  — clean and functional, with a premium feel. Driver controls are positioned for optimal ergonomics and usability, and simple, driver-centric displays enhance involvement behind the wheel. The seat position, shifter height, and the spacing between the pedals are all designed for maximum driver comfort.

While the refreshed Atlas maintains the same underpinnings of the successful outgoing models, the spacious interior receives a major upgrade for the 2024 model year. Premium materials are adopted throughout, including a leatherette-trimmed soft-touch dash and center console. Front-row door trim and décor flow seamlessly into the dash panel, creating an upscale cockpit; the door treatment is also mirrored in the second row. Available ambient lighting with 30 color choices pairs with innovative backlit dash décor featuring the model name to elevate the new design.

The Atlas makes maximum use of its three-row seating layout to offer space for up to seven adults, boasting a cavernous 154 cu-ft of total passenger volume.

Seats are finished in premium materials, no matter the trim line. Leatherette seating surfaces come standard with heated and ventilated front seats, a 10-way power adjustable driver’s seat, a height-adjustable passenger seat, and a second-row middle armrest with integrated cup holders. SEL models add a three-profile driver’s-seat memory function and an eight-way power passenger seat. SEL models feature standard leather seating surfaces with contrast stitching and heated outboard seats for the second row. Top-of-range SEL Premium R-Line models feature quilted leather seats with a diamond pattern.

Peak Edition models feature a signature look that pulls from the logo colors. Titan Black leatherette is paired with light grey accents and orange contrast stitching. Stainless steel pedal caps are added along with dash and door inserts in a black metallic check pattern to further set the look apart from the rest of the Atlas family. A steering wheel clip bears the same logo as the exterior badging and ambient lighting with 30 color choices pairs with innovative backlit dash décor reading “Peak Edition.”

Captain’s Chairs are available on SE w/ Technology models and above. These replace the three-passenger, second-row bench seat with two individual seats for even greater comfort and adjustability. The two-passenger third-row bench seat offers a 50/50 split, and both second- and third-row seats feature fold-flat functionality.