Photo: VW / autoevolution edit
Buying a brand-new vehicle nowadays does not mean that you get to just make a one-time payment and have everything working. Connected services especially are among those modern features that may require a monthly fee to work properly during ownership. And this theft case where a suspect stole a VW Atlas proves that you might want to sign up ASAP.
UPDATE - Both the police and Volkswagen provided some much-needed clarifications here.
Looking like a budget-friendly and redesigned copy of a Bentley Bentayga, the three-row VW Atlas is a midsize SUV by American standards but it’s the brand’s largest vehicle that’s currently on offer in the U.S. Given that the SUV category is very popular with buyers thanks to these cars having a higher driving position, improved visibility because of bigger glass surfaces, and generous cabin space, it’s not surprising that many sedan and hatchback owners are jumping ship. That's also why Ford gave up on almost every car, apart from the wildly popular Mustang.
That’s what this unlucky VW Atlas owner from Libertyville, Illinois might have done as well. The woman parked the made-in-Tennessee vehicle in her driveway, got out to bring one of her two kids and some groceries inside the house, and then returned for the other one.
As she was getting ready to bring the two-year-old inside the home, a suspect came out of nowhere. The unidentified perpetrator hurt the pregnant woman with a considerable amount of force that resulted in her being hospitalized. Then, they stole the car with the little kid inside and ran the victim over while driving away in the VW.
According to the preliminary investigation, at least two people were involved in this carjacking. The suspect was seen on a security camera recording leaving a sedan while somebody else was driving what appeared to be a slightly damaged white BMW 5 Series which had parts of its rear bumper missing.
The police immediately responded, and their first idea was to find a quick way to track the SUV because time was of the essence. Fortunately, the stolen Atlas was equipped with the German brand’s Car-Net suite of services. But the owner did not pay to have it enabled.
VW offers qualifying owners six months to try the comprehensive system out. Afterward, they can pay $17.99 per month, $199 per year, $378 for two years, or $540 for a three-year contract. In exchange, the owners get access to a couple of nifty features like anti-theft alerts, crash notifications, stolen vehicle locators, and much more. This is known as Car-Net and the offer is available in multiple markets.
According to the local source Lake & McHenry County Scanner, the officers were met with a flat refusal at first. Deputy Sheriff Christopher Covelli pointed out that they had to face “a delay” until the payment situation was resolved. The police did not say if how the situation with VW was resolved, but they were eventually able to track down the car.
The officers confirmed that they eventually found the abducted child and the stolen Atlas in a nearby area. The pregnant mother remained in the hospital. Now, the search for the white BMW and the two suspects is underway.
Finally, it’s worth mentioning that the police might have gotten in touch with customer service representatives who do not have the required prerogatives to overrun the manufacturer’s systems. That could be an explanation for that "delay."
Looking like a budget-friendly and redesigned copy of a Bentley Bentayga, the three-row VW Atlas is a midsize SUV by American standards but it’s the brand’s largest vehicle that’s currently on offer in the U.S. Given that the SUV category is very popular with buyers thanks to these cars having a higher driving position, improved visibility because of bigger glass surfaces, and generous cabin space, it’s not surprising that many sedan and hatchback owners are jumping ship. That's also why Ford gave up on almost every car, apart from the wildly popular Mustang.
That’s what this unlucky VW Atlas owner from Libertyville, Illinois might have done as well. The woman parked the made-in-Tennessee vehicle in her driveway, got out to bring one of her two kids and some groceries inside the house, and then returned for the other one.
As she was getting ready to bring the two-year-old inside the home, a suspect came out of nowhere. The unidentified perpetrator hurt the pregnant woman with a considerable amount of force that resulted in her being hospitalized. Then, they stole the car with the little kid inside and ran the victim over while driving away in the VW.
According to the preliminary investigation, at least two people were involved in this carjacking. The suspect was seen on a security camera recording leaving a sedan while somebody else was driving what appeared to be a slightly damaged white BMW 5 Series which had parts of its rear bumper missing.
The police immediately responded, and their first idea was to find a quick way to track the SUV because time was of the essence. Fortunately, the stolen Atlas was equipped with the German brand’s Car-Net suite of services. But the owner did not pay to have it enabled.
VW offers qualifying owners six months to try the comprehensive system out. Afterward, they can pay $17.99 per month, $199 per year, $378 for two years, or $540 for a three-year contract. In exchange, the owners get access to a couple of nifty features like anti-theft alerts, crash notifications, stolen vehicle locators, and much more. This is known as Car-Net and the offer is available in multiple markets.
According to the local source Lake & McHenry County Scanner, the officers were met with a flat refusal at first. Deputy Sheriff Christopher Covelli pointed out that they had to face “a delay” until the payment situation was resolved. The police did not say if how the situation with VW was resolved, but they were eventually able to track down the car.
The officers confirmed that they eventually found the abducted child and the stolen Atlas in a nearby area. The pregnant mother remained in the hospital. Now, the search for the white BMW and the two suspects is underway.
Finally, it’s worth mentioning that the police might have gotten in touch with customer service representatives who do not have the required prerogatives to overrun the manufacturer’s systems. That could be an explanation for that "delay."
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