The 2018 Volkswagen Atlas got in series production last week in Chattanooga, Tennessee. The seven-passenger SUV will be on sale next year.
The Atlas is the second automobile to go into production at Volkswagen’s Chattanooga plant, the first being the Passat sedan. Regardless of early chatter that the future SUV could be constructed in Mexico, Volkswagen validated a production run for the automobile in Chattanooga in mid-2014. Retooling the plant to create the Atlas cost the automaker $900 million, as it needed to broaden the facility by over 665,000 square feet, a 26-percent boost in flooring area. Volkswagen has also induced 400 new employees, and will include more as production of the Atlas increases. Initially, Volkswagen approximated the new vehicle would bring in at least 2,000 jobs.
Constructed particularly for the United States market, the Atlas is sized like the Ford Explorer and Nissan Pathfinder in length and width. 2 engines are readily available: a 238-hp 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder and a naturally aspirated 3.6-liter VR6 rated at 280 hp. Both are coupled with an eight-speed automatic transmission. 4Motion all-wheel-drive models, which include the bigger engine, contain special snow and off-roading modes.
Anticipate the Atlas to arrive in car dealerships in spring 2017.
