Volkswagen will soon debut its upcoming mid-size SUV (reportedly called the Atlas), but before that, the company wants to provide some background on its creation via a series of videos.
The first – titled “Volkswagen Midsize SUV Origins, Chapter 1: Background” – explains to us that the American public have a desire to explore the country’s vast landscape, which is why VW says its new SUV is a car that “caters to that lifestyle and mentality.”
“It’s a car to take the family and transport them to a national park, or state forest, or to their lake house, let’s say. Or maybe go skiing on a weekend,” said Jim Burch, product manager for Volkswagen of America. “So this car fits in perfectly to that active lifestyle,” he adds.
The video also brings up the brand’s heritage in the US, with previous classics like the Beetle and Microbus (or Kombi) being famous models that also supported the suggested lifestyle.
We also get to see plenty of camouflaged prototypes navigating various off-road terrain to further highlight the versatility of the vehicle. The SUV as you can see, shares a lot of its design cues with the CrossBlue Concept that first appeared in Detroit back in 2013.
Unlike the concept, which had six seats, VW’s upcoming model will have seven of them, spread across three rows. It is also 50 mm longer than the concept at 5,036 mm, according to a previous “First Impressions” video that focused on the SUV model. Power is provided by a 2.0 litre TSI engine with 238 hp, or a 3.6 litre V6 that delivers 280 hp.
The new Volkswagen Atlas will be assembled at the VW plant in Chattanooga, Tennessee, and is rumoured to make its world debut at the Los Angeles Auto Show in November. It is set to hit the North American market in spring 2017, and will compete against the Honda Pilot, Ford Explorer and Toyota Highlander there.
GALLERY: Volkswagen CrossBlue Concept
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