Photo: Benny Kirk/autoevolution
Remember the Atlas Basecamp concept from a few years back? Volkswagen has resurrected it for the refreshed Atlas in the form of a trim level with fewer off-road goodies compared to said concept. Joining the mid-size crossover’s lineup for model year 2024, the Peak Edition is visually different from its lesser siblings by means of a specific interior palette, unique wheels, body cladding elements, and gloss-black exterior detailing.
Revealed at the 2023 New York International Auto Show, the Peak Edition immediately captures attention with the help of a more rugged front end with a gloss-black X element stretching across the lower fascia. It’s joined by two chrome strips and a black grille to boot.
An illuminated Volkswagen logo is featured as well, plus black front door badging with the Peak Edition logo in orange. It seems like everyone and their dog started using orange for off-road trims, with Ford’s Tremor line of trucks and utilities coming to mind. 18-inch alloy wheels mounted with 255/60 boots of the all-terrain variety also need to be mentioned, with said tires coming in the guise of Continental CrossContact ATR rubber.
The black-painted wheels contrast nicely with the silver touches affixed to the black cladding on the sills. The black-out look extends to the roof rails, mirror caps, window surrounds, and – of course – the wheel arches.
To be detailed in full this coming summer, the Peak Edition boasts a black tailgate strip, chrome exhaust bezels, and a silver diffuser out back. Avocado Green and Pure Grey are Peak Edition-exclusive body colors.
Stepping inside reveals plenty of orange stitching, light grey accents, Titan Black leatherette surfaces, a steering wheel clip with the Peak Edition logo, and a black metallic check pattern for the dashboard and door inserts. The final touches come in the form of ambient lighting with 30 colors and a backlit dashboard décor that reads Peak Edition to remind the front passenger every single time that this isn’t your average Atlas. The problem is, every Atlas is average at best in this never-ending sea of increasingly boring sport utility vehicles.
Volkswagen discontinued the premium-oriented Touareg to make room for the Atlas in the U.S. lineup. Not only does Volkswagen spend less producing it on the front-wheel-drive platform of the Jetta, but the Atlas is also manufactured locally rather than in the EU.
Both the standard variant and coupe-styled option are hampered by notoriously poor quality as well. For example, Volkswagen has recently issued a recall for 143,053 vehicles due to a fault in the wiring for the passenger occupant detection system, resulting in the potential deactivation of the front passenger airbag.
There is no remedy available for now. Until it becomes available, owners are urged not to use the front passenger seat due to the increased safety risk posed by the potentially deactivated front passenger airbag.
An illuminated Volkswagen logo is featured as well, plus black front door badging with the Peak Edition logo in orange. It seems like everyone and their dog started using orange for off-road trims, with Ford’s Tremor line of trucks and utilities coming to mind. 18-inch alloy wheels mounted with 255/60 boots of the all-terrain variety also need to be mentioned, with said tires coming in the guise of Continental CrossContact ATR rubber.
The black-painted wheels contrast nicely with the silver touches affixed to the black cladding on the sills. The black-out look extends to the roof rails, mirror caps, window surrounds, and – of course – the wheel arches.
To be detailed in full this coming summer, the Peak Edition boasts a black tailgate strip, chrome exhaust bezels, and a silver diffuser out back. Avocado Green and Pure Grey are Peak Edition-exclusive body colors.
Stepping inside reveals plenty of orange stitching, light grey accents, Titan Black leatherette surfaces, a steering wheel clip with the Peak Edition logo, and a black metallic check pattern for the dashboard and door inserts. The final touches come in the form of ambient lighting with 30 colors and a backlit dashboard décor that reads Peak Edition to remind the front passenger every single time that this isn’t your average Atlas. The problem is, every Atlas is average at best in this never-ending sea of increasingly boring sport utility vehicles.
Volkswagen discontinued the premium-oriented Touareg to make room for the Atlas in the U.S. lineup. Not only does Volkswagen spend less producing it on the front-wheel-drive platform of the Jetta, but the Atlas is also manufactured locally rather than in the EU.
Both the standard variant and coupe-styled option are hampered by notoriously poor quality as well. For example, Volkswagen has recently issued a recall for 143,053 vehicles due to a fault in the wiring for the passenger occupant detection system, resulting in the potential deactivation of the front passenger airbag.
There is no remedy available for now. Until it becomes available, owners are urged not to use the front passenger seat due to the increased safety risk posed by the potentially deactivated front passenger airbag.
Google News