Volkswagen introduced the Atlas SUV way back in 2017. At the time, the company offered only compact SUVs, as it had just killed the Touareg here, which meant VW was leaving a lot of sales on the table.
The Atlas was meant to be different. It was the first time Volkswagen had designed and built an SUV in the U.S. for U.S. buyers. It wasn’t the most exciting thing on four wheels, and it lacked the charm or quirk of older VW models, but people bought the hell out of them.
Fast forward to 2026, and Volkswagen is debuting its second-generation Atlas for the 2027 model year. I say second generation, because this is the first time that the Atlas has gotten a complete overhaul after several facelifts.
Still, if you were expecting cataclysmic, world-shaking changes to VW’s hottest seller, you’ll be disappointed. The 2027 Atlas feels like a real “new boss is the same as the old boss” situation.
In short: VW’s second-generation Atlas SUV is debuting for the 2027 model year, and while it was nearly a decade ago that the first one came out, the folks at Volkswagen have opted not to mess with the formula much. It’s still cavernous, affordable, and if it had an aura, that aura would be “greige.”
Adequate Power, Old Engine Architecture
For 2027, the Atlas is powered exclusively by the nearly 20-year-old EA888 turbocharged 2.0L four-cylinder engine platform. VW is calling this variant the Evo 5, and it produces a mostly adequate 282 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque.
I say mostly adequate because the 27 Atlas weighs between 4,400 and 4,600 pounds, depending on whether you get all-wheel drive or front-wheel drive. Acceleration feels reasonable, but you won’t be blown away; at least that lack of performance comes without the need for premium gas.
The Atlas’s sole engine is paired with a single transmission: an eight-speed automatic with a twisty column-mounted shifter similar to what you’d find in the VW ID electric vehicles. It’s fine, and it saves room in the center console.
Front-wheel drive is standard, all-wheel drive is available, and while the Atlas offers “terrain modes” of a sort, you’re not taking this thing too far off piste. Fill the Atlas with all your stuff, and then leave it at the trailhead parking lot.
Comfy Enough
The Atlas’s ride attempts to ride the line between comfort and sportiness, and achieves neither. Don’t get me wrong. Like so much else about the Atlas, the suspension is fine but nothing to write home about either. The front is a MacPherson strut setup, while the rear is a pretty garden-variety multi-link design.
Brakes are discs all around, and if you think I’ll call them fine, congratulations, you’ve been paying attention. There is a little grabbiness when you first touch the pedal, but I suspect you’d get used to it if you owned one, or it’d mellow out after a few hundred miles of wear. I performed a few hard stops — not hard enough to activate anti-lock, but close — and I never got the sense that the brakes wouldn’t be there if I had to mash on them again.
Of course, I doubt anyone is really buying the Atlas for its performance. They’re buying it because it’s cavernous inside without being overly huge outside. Thankfully, they haven’t changed that for the second generation.
There’s plenty of room for front- and second-row passengers. I’m 6 feet, 4 inches tall, and I could comfortably sit behind my own driving position in the second row. The third row is a little tight for me, but I’d be fine back there for drives under an hour. Smaller humans will have no issues.
Lots of Room for Families and Their Stuff
Cargo volume is also great, even with the third row up. Volkswagen says that there’s 21.2 cubic feet of space behind the third row. That number goes up to 55.9 cubic feet when you drop the rearmost seats.
With both rows of seats down, there is a whopping 95.4 cubic feet and a mostly flat load floor. If you have the optional second-row captain’s chairs, you’ll have to contend with a gap between them, since there’s no center console for the second row.
Up front, the Atlas is a decent place to spend time. The seats are comfortable and reasonably supportive. My test vehicle has niceties like the big 15-inch infotainment screen and wireless phone charging with MagSafe. In the car’s air-conditioned cabin, I didn’t notice my phone overheating while on the charger, but since it isn’t directly cooled (like Porsche does with the current generation of Cayenne), that would likely happen eventually.
VW’s Big-Ass Screen
Volkswagen’s infotainment system feels reasonably snappy, but the menu layout is a little confusing if you’re searching for specific vehicle functions. Thankfully, the Atlas comes standard with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility, so you’ll only need to use the VW system if you’re adding your phone or forgot it at home.
Fit for Purpose, Not Excitement
It may sound like I don’t like the new Atlas, but that’s not true. Sure, it’s not particularly interesting or impressive, but it’s a big SUV for families who need the space but don’t want to shell out for something else with fewer standard features.
The Atlas is pretty damned affordable, with the base model starting at $43,135 for FWD or $45,610 for AWD, plus a $1,525 destination fee. That’s a few thousand dollars below the current national average new car sale price, and in today’s economy, that counts for a lot.
While the Atlas isn’t the quirky, fun, interesting VW that I dearly miss from the early aughts, we can pretty safely say that those kinds of cars are well and truly gone, and that’s OK. The new Volkswagen is trying to return to its roots as a car for the people. VW’s PR team pointed out during our time with the car that one in every three VWs sold is an Atlas, and I don’t think that’s likely to change once folks get their hands on the new one.
The 2027 Volkswagen Atlas is expected to hit dealers later this year.
