# Atlas at the Chicago Auto Show



## vwbugstuff (Mar 27, 2004)

Pics Are Up!!!

There were 2 SEL's on display. Both were V6 4MOTION. Both had the second row captain's chairs instead of the 70/30 split bench.

One was Kurkuma Yellow and featured the Weekend Edition accessories. See the "News" section here for more details.

The other was Fortana Red Metallic with black wheels. Both had black interiors. It appeared that the red one had the tow "prep" package and the yellow one had the actual towing package. I'm basing this on a guess - both had 2" receivers but the yellow one had the 7-pin plug connector mounted next to the hitch. IMHO the red looks much better in person than in pictures. Also, both had the Fender Audio System and the Digital Cockpit.

Fit and Finish are excellent, both inside and outside. Paint was perfect. Interior is what we would expect in a VW and there were plenty of "soft-touch" surfaces. As usual, all controls are well laid out and accessible.

Interior - I'm 6'1" and all six seats were comfortable and easy to access. The third row was fairly comfortable and there was almost two inches between my knees and the back of the second row seats. The second row seats were easy to flip forward, flip down and slide back and forth. Seat levers and latches worked well and were easy to reach. Front and second row seats were heated. On the rear of the console were the controls for the rear climate control and the rear seat heaters. There was also a 115v outlet and 2 USB ports. There are also A/C vents above the climate controls. There is a heater vent on the floor for the third row and a vent on each of the "C" pillars for third row A/C. The cubby under the dash climate controls have a 12v plug, 1 USB port and an "AUX" jack. Plenty of cup holders and cubbies for everyone!!

Under the rear cargo mat, on top of the spare, is the sub-woofer for the Fender system. This is also the storage spot for the sliding cargo cover that can be fitted when the third row seats are folded down.

Speaking of the cargo area - with the third row seats folded down, there is approximately 60 inches from the hatch threshold to the back of the second row seats. The wheelwell-to-wheelwell width is approximately 47 inches.

With the third row seats up, the threshold to seatback is approximately 24 inches.

Engine Compartment - V6 engine is set low in the bay to improve center-of-gravity. Dipstick, washer fluid, coolant and coil pack connectors are easily accessible. My only concern is the battery - it is set back on the driver's side. Although it is easily accessible, ergonomically it may be difficult to remove because you're going to have to stretch and lift to remove it. There is a hydraulic strut to assist with opening the hood. Hood is well-balanced and sounds solid when closed. 

Exterior - doors were also well balanced, opened easily and closed with a nice, solid thud. The rear hatch was electrically controlled. Rear camera is mounted above the license plate. Both had the panoramic sunroof, which is well-proportioned but not as massive as the 1st gen Tiguan or GSW. The hood isn't just a flat sheet of metal, it has some nice design elements.

Still no pricing info, but the rep said that they should be in dealers by the end of April.


I'm sure I've forgotten something, so please feel free to post any questions that you might have:thumbup::thumbup:

Also, there were 2 new Tiguans on display - one with the third row seating and one without.

Long day, so thanks for being patient for my pics....


----------



## SuitUp007 (Aug 12, 2013)

vwbugstuff said:


> I'll get the pics up as soon as I get them uploaded to Photobucket.
> 
> There were 2 SEL's on display. Both were V6 4MOTION. Both had the second row captain's chairs instead of the 70/30 split bench.
> 
> ...


Thanks for such a detailed post as I'm sure any of us interested here would have asked all these questions. I never really liked the truck but I'm starting to consider it after learning more and more. A white R-Line was on display at D.C. Auto Show last week but it was locked. 

My only real qualm is I want TDI. Unless the gas engine has improved in terms of MPG efficiency, I'm still considering a Touraeg TDI 2014-2015. 

I currently own a 2015 Ford Taurus SHO which gets about 17/25 and 2008 VR6 4Motion Passat which gets 16/24 so I'm tired of gas guzzlers. We do a lot of city driving in both cars. 

The Taurus goes back in June when lease is up and will need a new family car, preferably an SUV with 3rd row but I don't need that 3rd row really. Considering GMC Acadia as these come more loaded with standard options while VW likes to play the game of including basic popular options in higher trim levels and monthly leases are super expensive which is why I always buy 2-3 year old pre-owned VWs. 

Thanks for the post and looking forward to your pics! 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## vwbugstuff (Mar 27, 2004)

I've read quite a few concerns about the fuel mileage, but I'm hoping, since it has an 8-speed transmission, that the gear ratios will help to give the Atlas some decent mileage numbers. My Eurovan consistently gets 16-17mpg around town, so anything above that is a win for me.


----------



## vwbugstuff (Mar 27, 2004)

[/URL]








[/URL]








[/URL]








[/URL]








[/URL]








[/URL]








[/URL]


----------



## vwbugstuff (Mar 27, 2004)

[/URL]








[/URL]








[/URL]


----------



## vwbugstuff (Mar 27, 2004)




----------



## vwbugstuff (Mar 27, 2004)




----------



## vwbugstuff (Mar 27, 2004)




----------



## vwbugstuff (Mar 27, 2004)

Also, there were 2 new Tiguans on display - one was a FWD 5-seater and the other was a 4MOTION 7-seater.

For those of you that will be going to the show - there was room in the display area for 1 or 2 more vehicles, so it's possible that there may be some additions to what we saw today.


----------



## utsava (Jun 5, 2002)

Thanks for the detailed review and photos! Hopefully pricing/trim and warranty info is released soon. It's getting pretty close to release to not have this info.


----------



## KurtK (Feb 13, 2012)

Thanks so much for posting your review and the great pics. I just can't make it to one of the major shows this year so your post was definitely the next best thing to being there. I wish they would release some pricing and trim info soon.


----------



## cooltiguan11 (Jul 29, 2011)

Thanks for posting all the great information and pictures! I am looking forward to checking out the Atlas and the new Tiguan.


----------



## wolfsburgfanatic (May 27, 2002)

Very nice; thanks for the pics! 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## sleepbelowstars (Sep 16, 2004)

utsava said:


> Thanks for the detailed review and photos! Hopefully pricing/trim and warranty info is released soon. It's getting pretty close to release to not have this info.


The only thing they could tell us during the media preview was 30k base and 48k fully loaded SEL Premium. I tried to pry for more details but the two reps I talked to just didn't have it.

As far as warranty, I would assume the same as the Passat.

Basic warranty: 36 months/36,000miles
Corrosion perforation warranty: 144 months/ unlimited distance
Powertrain warranty: 60 months/60,000miles
Roadside assistance coverage: 36 months/36,000miles


----------



## utsava (Jun 5, 2002)

sleepbelowstars said:


> The only thing they could tell us during the media preview was 30k base and 48k fully loaded SEL Premium. I tried to pry for more details but the two reps I talked to just didn't have it.
> 
> As far as warranty, I would assume the same as the Passat.
> 
> ...


vwbugstuff mentioned there may be an announcement of a 6-year 72k mile bumper-to-bumper warranty here.
Not sure of his sources, but it would be a huge deal if true.


----------



## cgvalant (Nov 14, 2005)

Thanks for the pics and info! It looks like this has just as much cargo area as our Armada. I have been looking for a good replacement for the Armada that isn't going to cost me $60k new. This might be it. I just wish there was a more powerful engine option.

Sent from my XT1650 using Tapatalk


----------



## vwbugstuff (Mar 27, 2004)

cgvalant said:


> I just wish there was a more powerful engine option.


Our Eurovan only has 201 hp. So for me, anything above that is gravy!!!


----------



## cgvalant (Nov 14, 2005)

vwbugstuff said:


> Our Eurovan only has 201 hp. So for me, anything above that is gravy!!!


LOL, I'm sure it will be a big step up! If the 2.0t came in AWD, that would be my choice because at least it is easily modified.

Sent from my XT1650 using Tapatalk


----------



## vwbugstuff (Mar 27, 2004)

A buddy of mine went to the show today and checked on something for me; the stickers on the gas doors said "Regular 87 Octane"

Both are V6's.


----------



## sleepbelowstars (Sep 16, 2004)

cgvalant said:


> LOL, I'm sure it will be a big step up! If the 2.0t came in AWD, that would be my choice because at least it is easily modified.


It will NOT according to the reps there. VR only in the 4mo.


----------



## jkopelc (Mar 1, 2017)

Great post and photos.

Does anyone happen to know which wheels are which? When it was first rolled out I am assuming it had 18s on in most of the photos you see? Obviously in the image above of the red SEL it has the black "Mejorada" wheels which to me look similar to the R Line 20 inch wheels (in spokes/design except they are black) and they happen to be called Sebring Alloy wheels.

So then I am just not sure which are the standard 18s versus which are the standard 20s which are included with the Execline (in canada or SEL in the US i think?) And then to further complicate, looking at the weekend edition in the images posted, that appears to be a 4th style which I have not seen anywhere else yet.

Anyone who can elaborate?


----------



## vwbugstuff (Mar 27, 2004)

jkopelc said:


> Great post and photos.
> 
> Does anyone happen to know which wheels are which? When it was first rolled out I am assuming it had 18s on in most of the photos you see? Obviously in the image above of the red SEL it has the black "Mejorada" wheels which to me look similar to the R Line 20 inch wheels (in spokes/design except they are black) and they happen to be called Sebring Alloy wheels.
> 
> ...



The 20" R-Line wheels are totally different than the red one above:
https://www.cars.com/articles/2018-volkswagen-atlas-r-line-review-photo-gallery-1420692898777/


----------



## vwbugstuff (Mar 27, 2004)

I have seen 4 wheels so far....

The 20" R-Line version

The version on the Weekend Edition

And, I don't know if it really counts as two, but the black wheels are the same as the silver wheels (20" "Mejorada") that were on the Atlas that was unveiled in November.


ADDENDUM: The wheels on the Weekend Edition are 18" "Prisma"

Via a Google search, it appears that the R-Line wheel is a 20" version of the "Sebring"


----------

