Volkswagen has unveiled the Atlas, a seven-passenger SUV it's building alongside the Passat sedan at its plant in Chattanooga, Tenn.
DETROIT -- Volkswagen has unveiled the Atlas, a seven-passenger SUV it's building alongside the Passat sedan at its plant in Chattanooga, Tenn.
The German automaker invested $900 million at the Tennessee site to ready it for the new SUV, the largest vehicle the company has ever built in the U.S.
Expected in U.S. dealer showrooms by spring 2017, the Atlas could not arrive too soon for Volkswagen. Americans have once again been gravitating toward crossovers and SUVs amid low fuel prices and a generally improved economy.
The 2018 Volkswagen Atlas will have the latest driver-assistance features, such as adaptive cruise control, forward collision warning and autonomous emergency braking, blind-spot monitoring with rear-traffic alert and lane-departure warning.
It will come with two powertrain options, including a 2.0-liter, turbocharged four-cylinder engine with 238 horsepower, or a 3.6-liter VR6 engine with 280 horsepower.
Both will be mated to an eight-speed, automatic transmission, and all-wheel-drive will be available on VR6 trims. Fuel economy will be announced closer to the Atlas's launch.
"This is the biggest and boldest Volkswagen we have ever built in the United States, delivering the distinctive design and craftsmanship we're known for, now with room for seven, " Hinrich J. Woebcken, Volkswagen's CEO of North America, said in a release. "The Atlas marks a brand new journey for Volkswagen to enter into the heart of the American market."