Photo: Newspress USA
People have barely begun their Atlas leases and already there's a fresh model making them want to walk back into the dealership and get a trade-in. We are talking about the 2021 Atlas, which just made its debut at the 2020 Chicago Auto Show.
No, not the Atlas Cross Sport, the 2-row smaller mode. This is the normal Atlas for 2021. The cosmetic updates somehow make it look less rugged but more upmarket, which is probably a good design choice.
All the major changes are concentrated at the front, where the 2021 Atlas sports a taller 3-bar grille that wraps around new headlights. It kind of looks like a Passat from the front. You know, the sedan they're going to kill soon.
Anyway, the refreshed Atlas also sports brand new bumpers with fewer black plastic elements and sporty touches. The new bodywork also resulted in a 3-inch increase in overall length without anything happening in the wheelbase. The R-Line model is still the nices to look at and comes with up to 21-inch wheels.
The engines are the same, so you still have a 235 horsepower 2-liter turbo and a more popular and powerful V6 making 276 hp and 266 lb-ft (360 Nm). But you can now add AWD to the 2-liter model on every trim level, which you couldn't do before.
On the inside, Volkswagen has done a few things with the trim and upholstery. However, the big hardware changes include the reshaped steering wheel. The 8-inch Composition Media infotainment screen is now standard, and so are a bunch of safety systems that people wanted: Forward Collision Warning and Autonomous Emergency Braking with Pedestrian Monitoring, Blind Spot Monitor and Rear Traffic Alert.
However, there's still a fair amount of stuff on the options list, like the digital cockpit screens, Fender audio system, ambient lighting, 3-zone climate control, vented leather seats and a wireless charging pad.
All the major changes are concentrated at the front, where the 2021 Atlas sports a taller 3-bar grille that wraps around new headlights. It kind of looks like a Passat from the front. You know, the sedan they're going to kill soon.
Anyway, the refreshed Atlas also sports brand new bumpers with fewer black plastic elements and sporty touches. The new bodywork also resulted in a 3-inch increase in overall length without anything happening in the wheelbase. The R-Line model is still the nices to look at and comes with up to 21-inch wheels.
The engines are the same, so you still have a 235 horsepower 2-liter turbo and a more popular and powerful V6 making 276 hp and 266 lb-ft (360 Nm). But you can now add AWD to the 2-liter model on every trim level, which you couldn't do before.
On the inside, Volkswagen has done a few things with the trim and upholstery. However, the big hardware changes include the reshaped steering wheel. The 8-inch Composition Media infotainment screen is now standard, and so are a bunch of safety systems that people wanted: Forward Collision Warning and Autonomous Emergency Braking with Pedestrian Monitoring, Blind Spot Monitor and Rear Traffic Alert.
However, there's still a fair amount of stuff on the options list, like the digital cockpit screens, Fender audio system, ambient lighting, 3-zone climate control, vented leather seats and a wireless charging pad.
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