After nearly a decade in production, the Volkswagen Atlas is finally entering a new generation.
While the Tiguan is technically VW’s single bestselling model in the U.S., the Volkswagen Atlas (and its two-row Cross Sport variant) was the only model in the company’s lineup to rack up more than 100,000 sales combined last year. Its success is critical to the brand’s fortunes in America, but the original model first launched way back in 2017. It’s gotten a couple notable updates since, with the Cross Sport joining the action in 2021 and a second facelift in 2024, but we’ve yet to see a brand-new Atlas hit the scene…until now.
Volkswagen brought Kase out to snowy Quebec to check out a prototype version of the 2027 Atlas, before the model makes its official debut. In the video below, you’ll get a chance to check out the new model’s exterior styling — under an insanely colorful wrap — and find out what we know about this second-gen model so far.
Right off the bat, you can tell the 2027 Volkswagen Atlas is an evolution of the late first-generation model on the styling front. It brings a new headlight design and new grille to the mix, but this second-gen prototype looks pretty familiar to the Atlas tens of thousands of families already know and love. The lower front fascia does look a lot more prominent than the existing model, and VW designers seem to have punched out the side profile a bit to give this new model a more substantial shoulder line that makes it look wider than before.
For the moment, Volkswagen is still being pretty cagey about official information, including technical specs.
We do know that the new Atlas will ride on the company’s MQB Evo platform that underpins all of VW’s latest gas-powered models, from the Golf Mk8 to the third-generation Tiguan, as well as the new Audi Q3. In the Atlas’ case, this will be a completely new model from what we’ve known for nearly a decade.
What about the interior? Well, the folks at VW asked we don’t spill the tea on those details for the time being either. Generally speaking, though, the 2027 Atlas’ exterior profile signals the interior will have pretty similar dimensions to what we’re used to, even if the design gets a substantial update from the model’s last update for the 2024 model year.
We’ll have more information about the 2027 Volkswagen Atlas in April, so stay tuned!
