The Volkswagen Atlas is a
mid-size crossover SUV manufactured by the German automaker
Volkswagen
Volkswagen (VW; )English: , . is a German automotive industry, automobile manufacturer based in Wolfsburg, Lower Saxony, Germany. Established in 1937 by German Labour Front, The German Labour Front, it was revitalized into the global brand it ...
since 2017. Developed mainly for the North American and Chinese market, the vehicle is based on the
Volkswagen Group MQB platform. Outside the US, Canadian, and Chilean markets, the vehicle is marketed as the Volkswagen Teramont. It is positioned above the long-wheelbase
Tiguan and below the smaller but more upmarket
Touareg.
First generation (2017)
Overview
Marketed as the Atlas in North America, Chile, and Israel, the vehicle is known as the Teramont elsewhere, including the rest of the Middle East, Africa, as well as in Mexico, Russia, Colombia and China, where production in
Ningbo began in 2017. For markets outside China, the Atlas/Teramont is produced in the
Chattanooga plant in
Chattanooga, Tennessee
Chattanooga ( ) is a city in Hamilton County, Tennessee, United States, and its county seat. It is located along the Tennessee River and borders Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the south. With a population of 181,099 in 2020, it is Tennessee ...
, United States.
The vehicle features a transverse mounted
four-cylinder or Volkswagen's
VR6 engine.
Up to the introduction of the China-only
Viloran, the Atlas was the largest vehicle produced on the
Volkswagen Group MQB platform.
Markets
North America (Atlas)
The
CrossBlue previewed the Atlas/Teramont as a
concept
A concept is an abstract idea that serves as a foundation for more concrete principles, thoughts, and beliefs.
Concepts play an important role in all aspects of cognition. As such, concepts are studied within such disciplines as linguistics, ...
diesel
plug-in-hybrid mid-size crossover SUV in September 2013. The Atlas was introduced at the
LA Auto Show in Los Angeles on November 17, 2016. The name Atlas was picked for the region after the proposed Teramont name was rejected by dealers. It went on sale in the United States and Canada in May 2017 as a 2018 model year.
Features included in the Atlas are the VW Digital Cockpit, up to of rear cargo space, seventeen total cup holders, a second row bench seat with room for three child safety seats or optional second row captains chairs with room for two child safety seats, a third row seating area that can be accessed with child safety seats still in place, standard
Android Auto and
Apple CarPlay
CarPlay and CarPlay Ultra is an Apple Inc., Apple standard that enables a car radio or automotive head unit to be a display and controller for an iOS device. It is available on iPhone 5 and later models running iOS 7.1 or later.
More than 800 ...
connectivity with Volkswagen CarNet and MirrorLink, seven total stability enhancing systems, and available Volkswagen
4Motion four wheel drive system on most models.
File:2018 Volkswagen Atlas 12.24.17.jpg, Rear view
File:2019 Volkswagen Atlas SE R-Line in Reflex Silver Metallic, front left.jpg, 2019 Volkswagen Atlas SE R-Line (United States)
File:2019 Volkswagen Atlas SE R-Line in Reflex Silver Metallic, rear left.jpg, 2019 Volkswagen Atlas SE R-Line (United States)
= Engines
=
The Atlas has two
gasoline
Gasoline ( North American English) or petrol ( Commonwealth English) is a petrochemical product characterized as a transparent, yellowish, and flammable liquid normally used as a fuel for spark-ignited internal combustion engines. When for ...
engine options in the United States.
Safety
The 2018 Atlas received the
IIHS "Top Safety Pick" rating after earning "Good" ratings in all five
crashworthiness tests, and a "Superior" rating on the front crash prevention test. This was in January 2018.
2021 refresh
At the
2020 Chicago Auto Show, Volkswagen unveiled the refreshed Atlas for the model year of 2021. Changes include a new front end, which is based on the Atlas Cross Sport, redesigned wheels, new rear lights, and a new steering wheel. It was facelifted for Mexico on December 1, 2020, alongside the introduction of the Teramont Cross Sport.
File:2021 Volkswagen Atlas SE, front 3.24.23.jpg, 2021 Atlas
File:2021 Volkswagen Atlas rear.jpg, Rear view
File:2023 Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport interior.jpg, Interior
2024 refresh
The 2024 model year Atlas and Atlas Cross Sport was revealed in February 2023. Changes include a redesigned front and rear clip, and a heavily revised interior design. The Atlas also gained an electronic shift-by-wire gear selector, 10.3-inch digital gauge cluster and a 12.0-inch touchscreen infotainment system. Since the 2024 refresh, the Atlas is no longer offered with a VR6 engine due to tougher EPA emissions standards required for future model years. A turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder gasoline engine became the only engine option, with towing capacity unchanged at .
File:2024 Volkswagen Atlas Peak Edition SE 2.0T, front 12.17.23.jpg, 2024 Atlas Peak Edition
File:2024 Volkswagen Atlas Execline in Oryx White Pearl, Front Right, 10-01-2023.jpg, 2024 Atlas Execline
File:2024 Volkswagen Atlas Execline in Oryx White Pearl, Rear Left, 10-01-2023.jpg, Rear view
China (Teramont)
In China, the Teramont was unveiled at the
2016 Guangzhou Auto Show. The Teramont is made in China by the
SAIC-Volkswagen joint venture for the Chinese market. The Volkswagen Teramont is available with an 2.0-liter TSI, a 2.0-liter TSI, or with a 2.5-liter VR6. All variants are paired to a 7-speed DSG with the 4MOTION all-wheel drive system. The 2.0-liter engines are locally manufactured in China, while the VR6 engine is manufactured in Germany and shipped over to the factory in Shanghai. It was developed specifically for the Chinese market where engines above 3.0 liters are subject to heavy
excise tax
file:Lincoln Beer Stamp 1871.JPG, upright=1.2, 1871 U.S. Revenue stamp for 1/6 barrel of beer. Brewers would receive the stamp sheets, cut them into individual stamps, cancel them, and paste them over the Bunghole, bung of the beer barrel so when ...
.
File:2018 SAIC-Volkswagen Teramont.jpg, Volkswagen Teramont (China)
File:2018 SAIC-Volkswagen Teramont (rear).jpg, Volkswagen Teramont (China)
Engines
Facelift
At the
2021 Shanghai Auto Show, Volkswagen unveiled the refreshed Teramont for the model year of 2021 in China. Changes include a new front end, redesigned wheels, and new full-width rear lights. It was introduced alongside the introduction of the Teramont X 2021 facelift.
[https://netherlandsnewslive.com/renewed-volkswagen-teramont-and-teramont-x/118415/ ]
File:2021 SAIC-Volkswagen Teramont (facelift, front).jpg, Facelift
File:2021 SAIC-Volkswagen Teramont (facelift, rear).jpg, Facelift
Two-row versions
The Atlas Cross Sport (called Teramont X in China and Teramont Cross Sport in Mexico) is a smaller variation of the Atlas/Teramont. The 4.97 meter long vehicle has the same wheelbase (2.98 meters) as the three-row model, but has a lower roof and angled rear window to give it a sportier appearance and is only available with two rows of seating instead of three.
North America (Atlas Cross Sport)
The Atlas Cross Sport debuted in North America in early 2020, as a new model for the 2020 model year. Available engines are the same as the original Atlas: a turbocharged four-cylinder and a VR6. The Atlas Cross Sport is offered in S, SE, SEL, SEL R-Line, SEL Premium, and SEL Premium
R-Line trims. The Cross Sport was previewed by the concept
CrossBlue Coupe in September 2013. This Atlas Cross Sport, known in Mexico as the Teramont Cross Sport, was introduced for the Mexican market on December 1, 2020, alongside the facelifted Teramont. It is only sold in the Highline trim level and it is equipped with the R-Line aerodynamic kit.
File:2022 Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport Trendline in Pure White, Front Left, 01-16-2023.jpg, Atlas Cross Sport
File:2022 Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport SE V6 in Pure Gray, rear right.jpg, Rear view
File:2022 Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport V6 SEL Premium R-Line 4MOTION, front right, 10-28-2022.jpg, R-Line
China (Teramont X)
The Teramont X was unveiled in April 2019 in
2019 Shanghai Auto Show. It positioned as a
coupé
A coupe or coupé (, ) is a passenger car with a sloping or truncated rear roofline and typically with two doors.
The term ''coupé'' was first applied to horse-drawn carriages for two passengers without rear-facing seats. It comes from the Fr ...
version of the Teramont in the Chinese market. The engine options is also shared with the standard Teramont, however all Teramont X models have four-wheel drive as standard. It features a different front fascia compared to the North American Atlas Cross Sport. Debuting alongside the Teramont 2021 model year facelift, the Teramont X in China received a facelift for the 2021 model year, and another facelift for the 2023 model year.
File:Volkswagen Teramont X 009.jpg, Teramont X (China)
File:Volkswagen Teramont X 011.jpg, Rear view
File:Volkswagen Teramont X 2021 facelift 001.jpg, Teramont X (China, facelift)
File:Volkswagen Teramont X 2021 facelift 002.jpg, Rear view
File:Volkswagen Teramont X facelift IMG01.jpg, Teramont X (China, 2023 facelift)
File:Volkswagen Teramont X facelift 001.jpg, Rear view
Second generation (2025)
The second generation was launched in 2025.
File:Volkswagen Teramont Pro 002.jpg, Volkswagen Teramont Pro rear (China)
Production and sales
References
External links
*
* (Cross Sport)
{{Volkswagen (China) timeline 1984 to date
Atlas
An atlas is a collection of maps; it is typically a bundle of world map, maps of Earth or of a continent or region of Earth. Advances in astronomy have also resulted in atlases of the celestial sphere or of other planets.
Atlases have traditio ...
Cars introduced in 2017
2020s cars
Mid-size sport utility vehicles
Crossover sport utility vehicles
Front-wheel-drive vehicles
All-wheel-drive vehicles
Cars powered by VR engines