The New And Improved 2024 Volkswagen Atlas

So about six years ago, Volkswagen decided to give the US market what it really wanted: a large family three-row SUV. and in the time since, it has become one of Volkswagen's most important products. 

Today, I’m reviewing the refreshed 2024 Atlas, which is promising big changes on the outside, inside, and under the hood. So is this updated Atlas, the three-row crossover, the one that stands out above all the rest in this highly competitive segment? Let's go ahead and find out.

Let's talk pricing before I move onto the rest of the car. The prices on the base models have risen quite a bit for 2024, but considering the fact that you had the standard two-liter four-cylinder last year and now you're getting the upgraded 2-liter four-cylinder engine that has the power of the V6, it's not really that bad of a price increase overall.

So we're starting at $39,420 for the SE model. SC Tech $43,525. Peak editions are $48,415, and then there are a few other trim levels ending with the SEL premium model at $54,315, which is the one I’m reviewing today.

The pricing is pretty much in line with the rivals if you're comparing it to a Grand Highlander, though this is going to be cheaper and fully loaded. 

Lastly, Volkswagen does offer a 4-year/50,000-mile warranty for basic and powertrain. Additionally, you're going to get two years and 20,000 miles of complimentary maintenance.

Upscale Exterior

As far as the exterior design is concerned, I always thought the Atlas was a very handsome SUV. And I think for 2024, what Volkswagen is really focused on is also making this look pretty upscale as well.

You're going to notice, first and foremost, a new grille design. So it comes with a larger, more expanded grill setup, and there's going to be some revised trim structure as well.

Like I mentioned earlier, the one I’m reviewing is the SEL Premium R line. So this is the only way you're going to get the R-Line package.

And when you get the R Line appearance stuff, that's going to give you the full blacked-out grille as well as the more aggressive gloss black lower fascia element. 

There is also a new Peak Edition model. That one's going to give you the rugged design that gives you those tough-looking lower bumpers as well as some other design elements throughout the rest of the exterior.

Now we can't talk about the refresh without talking about the updated lighting because that's very noticeable, especially at night. So we have premium full-LED headlights as standard equipment on all models. They are adaptive as well, which is a very nice feature for this segment of vehicle. 

The other big thing is the signature light bar and lighted Volkswagen logo. Both of those features are new, and they're going to be included on all but the very base trim level. Again, it gives you that very distinct look at night. 

Now, as we roll around to the rear design, it has also seen some aesthetic updates this year. Perhaps not as much as the front, but we do see some similar things applied to the back. The main thing that you're going to notice that's different is the taillight design.

We do have an LED brake light portion, an LED reverse light, and a LED Amber turn signal indicator, as well as all of our accents being LED. Additionally, we have the red-lighted Volkswagen emblem on the back.

I think overall this is a very premium taillight design. I really like what they've done with it. They kind of took a cheat sheet from up in the front with the full-length design, and that's going to be back here in the rear as well. When it comes to the rear bumper, we have some piano black trim that looks nice, along with quad faux exposed exhaust outlets here on this SEL R line model. 

Now, in terms of your wheel options, you're going to have all new choices for 2024. You're going to start out with 18-inch alloys on your base SE trim level, and as you move up, you will go to 20-inch alloys.

Thankfully, Volkswagen has retained the 21-inch alloy option for the SEL Premium R Line. That's one inch larger than what most of the rivals are offering.

The 21-inch wheels have a very nice design with a lot of contrast. If you choose that Peak Edition, that is also going to have an 18-inch alloy, but that's going to have all-terrain tires for a little bit more off-road ability.

Now, the side of the atlas hasn't changed much when it comes to the overall design, actually, over the refresh model. It's going to definitely focus on the front and the rear.

Now, as far as the overall length is concerned, you're still going to retain the big shape and size that the atlas has always had. 200.7 inches long, which makes it a lot longer than stuff like the Kia Telluride, Hyundai Palisade, and regular-wheelbase Highlander.

It is going to be a little bit less than Grand Highlander still, though.

Premium Interior

As many changes as they made to the exterior, they made a lot more changes to the interior. I’m going to talk about all those updates, of course, soon enough, but first, let's talk about some material and color choices. So you are going to have V-Tex leatherette as standard equipment.

Most of the trim levels, as a matter of fact, will come with that until you get to this SEL premium. This is going to give you real leather, and it also comes with a very premium diamond stitch. 

These seats look excellent and feel great. You also have plenty of adjustability with 10-way power-adjustment across the entire lineup with two-way lumbar support. 

The cabin was one area that Volkswagen wanted to feel like a more premium space, and they. Starting with the door panels, the armrest is made of leather. You also have perforated leather through the center section and a soft touch along the top.

You can also get faux wood decor on this fully loaded model, which actually passes through the entire dashboard as well. You can choose from some other trim options, but this is my favorite because it feels and looks very realistic.

They've also added a lot of leather details to the lower dash as well as along our console. You also have a nice piano black in the center section, which looks premium. and then a nice piano black through the center section. Everything, of course, feels nice and solid in that typical German way.

Lot More Standard Features

Another thing that makes this cabin feel more premium than the outgoing model is the fact that we have a lot more standard features on board. One of those nice new standard features is going to be a 10 and a quarter-inch digital gauge cluster. This is a very information-rich system where you have a lot of different choices.

You can even display the map right in the middle, like you can on an Audi, and you've got different designs that you can switch between. Furthermore, we also do have a head-up display on board that's going to be on the SEL trim level and above. 

The new Atlas also comes with a new 12-inch infotainment screen as standard. This is running the newest version of Volkswagen's infotainment software, called MIB3. It also has a voice assistant. You have both wireless Android Auto and Apple Carplay.

The main software of the infotainment screen is really nice. All of your apps are just nicely laid out. It's pretty easy to use. I also noticed that it is nice and responsive to touch. 

The Atlas comes with a flat-bottomed steering wheel, the most modern version of the Volkswagen steering wheel. The wheel itself, manual tilt, and telescoping. It also happens to have a heated steering wheel as standard. That's very rare for this class of vehicle. 

Another new feature that comes standard with the 2024 Atlas is standard heated and ventilated seats. This feature was previously reserved for just the fully loaded model and most of the rivals.

Plenty Of Storage

One of my favorite things about the updated cabin, though, is that they've really improved interior storage space. The center console is going to be a nice, large space. It does have a felt lining at the bottom as well as a USB-C port. You also get another tiny storage cubby, along with two cup holders. 

The Atlas also comes with a hidden standard wireless charging pad and a couple more USBs. The big news is a brand new center pass-through just below the shifter area. So you can stick just about anything down here, giving you a lot more flexibility with the interior storage.

Now you have that flexibility because Volkswagen has moved to a new electronic kind of nub-style shifter. Very easy to use though. When you go into reverse, if you choose this fully loaded model, that's going to get you a 360-degree camera system. 

Like a lot of recent Volkswagens, they have changed the climate arrangement. So one thing you’ll notice once you sit inside an Atlas is that you don't have any hard buttons. To adjust the climate control, you’re going to have to use touch-sensitive toggles located just below the infotainment screen. 

These toggles are pretty responsive as well. If you need some additional functions, you'll press that button right there, and that will bring you to a menu where you can take manual control of things like your zones as well as your fan speed.

When it comes to the sound system, you’re going to get a 12-speaker Harman Kardon sound system with the fully loaded model. It’s going to replace the previous Fender version. The overall sound quality of the system is quite good. really fills up the cabin nicely and has a good base with a subwoofer.

Spacious Rear Seats

When it comes to the rear seats, space is a very important part of any type of comfort level. For the second row seats, we're looking at 37.6 inches of legroom and 40.4 inches of headroom.

Now, if we're talking numbers-wise, that is less than Kia Telluride and less than the Grand Highlander. That being said, once I sat in the rear seats, the space offered was more than enough for me to be comfortable.

And if you feel like you have too much space in the second row and want to give some extra space to the people sitting in the third row, you can slide your seats for about 7 inches. Another thing to note about the second row seats is that you can get captain chairs in the second row on most of the trim level.

As for the features, you get standard vents along with standard climate control. Just below the vents are two USB ports and a household-style outlet. You also get heated rear seats that are included on the SEL and SEL Premium. 

The Atlas has always had one of the best third rows in the class, and that's going to continue for this 2024 model. It’s really easy to get into the third row; you just have to tilt the seat up and slide it.

In terms of space, you’re looking at 33.7 inches of legroom, which is actually going to be larger than the vast majority of anything in the segments—actually even larger than the Toyota Grand Highlander. so very impressive. You also get 38.3 inches of headroom. If you’re someone who's 5’9 like me, headroom is certainly not an issue.

The seats are very comfortable. The thigh support is really good. As far as other features, we have a couple cup holders; we also have rear vents in the c-pillar; and we also have two USB ports in the third row on both sides.

One Of The Biggest Cargo Spaces In The Segment

The 2024 Atlas comes with a hands-free power tailgate standard on all but the base model. so the vast majority of Atlases will have the hands-free power-opening tailgate. Besides that, the cargo space is an incredibly impressive part of this Atlas. 

We're looking at 21 cubic feet of space behind the third-row seats. We're looking at 55 cubic feet behind the second row, and if we fold the second row down, we're looking at a maximum of 96.6 cubic feet of cargo capacity.

When compared to some of its rivals, it's going to be more than Telluride, more than Palisade, and more than regular Highlander. Really the only two in the segment that the Atlas is still just ever so slightly less than are the Chevy Traverse and the all-new Toyota Grand Highlander. So this is by far one of the biggest options you can get in the entire segment. 

Besides that, you also get storage cubbies on either side of the cargo space, along with a spare tire. Unfortunately, the seats aren’t powered, so you’ll have to manually fold them.

Refined Engine And Smooth Ride Quality

The powertrain is a very important aspect of this refreshed Atlas because we have a totally new engine on board. As a matter of fact, they have actually gotten rid of the previous four-cylinder and V6 options and replaced them with a brand new turbo four-cylinder.

This is a 2-liter turbo four-cylinder, making 269 horsepower and 273 pound-feet of torque. That's going to be down seven horsepower from the previous V6, but it actually has more torque, which is a good tradeoff.

The overall power feels pretty good. I certainly like that this new turbo has so much torque on board. This new turbocharged engine is really replacing the V6 engine in essence, but now it's standard across the entire lineup. So there's no more of that low-power 2-liter turbo, which I believe is only 235 horsepower.

Like I mentioned before, this new engine does have less horsepower but more torque. And I think if you compare it to a lot of its rivals with naturally aspirated engines, you are going to find that this one has more torque. It pushes you back in your seat more, which is certainly a good thing to have in this segment.

I also think it's important to note that this actually does have a faster 0–60 than the outgoing V6 as well. We're looking at 7.5 seconds as compared to 8.3 seconds previously. 

The overall refinement of this engine. In case you're wondering, you know, will I miss having that V6? I actually don't think you will. This is a really smooth turbo-four-cylinder. 

If anybody knows how to do a good turbo four, it would be the Volkswagen Group, since they use this engine in a number of different products, including Audi products. It really just has a nice refinement, and it never gets loud, even when you put your foot all the way down to the ground.

As far as other aspects of the powertrain go, you do have an 8-speed automatic transmission that's nice and smooth. It shifts through the gears really quickly. When you put your foot down, you don't have to wait long to get several gears dropped. 

And as far as how it's put to the ground, you do have standard front drive or optional all-wheel drive on both SE trims. You do get AWD as standard with the Peak Edition and above.

As far as your fuel economy goes, I will go ahead and knock that off. You're going to have 23 miles per gallon combined with front drive or 22 miles per gallon combined when you choose all-wheel drive.

As far as how that rates compared to some of its rivals, that is going to be better than a lot of your V6 naturally aspirated rivals. And it is increased over the previous V6 that used to be on this Atlas model. so certainly a nice bump in fuel economy for getting this new engine set up.

The ride quality of the Atlas has always been an area where this car has excelled and that's going to continue for 2024. Honestly, I believe this is one of the best riding options that you can get in the entire segment.

When you hit a bump it really does a good job of smoothing it out and making sure there's not much intrusion inside the cabin. 

It's very softly sprung suspension. And I even have the largest 21 inch alloy wheels on the model I’m reviewing, so I'd imagine your ride quality is even better if you choose one of the lower end trim levels. So certainly the ride quality is superb when you go for this Atlas.

In terms of driving dynamics, if you were thinking this was going to be a three-row GTI, it's definitely not. Just like before the refresh, this is going to skew a lot more towards that comfort focus. so when you have that ride and handling balance this is going to be really focused on ride quality. 

As such you do have a pretty good amount of body roll definitely when you're going around corners. The steering is going to be very very lightweight as well. And I think that’s one of the things that I don’t like about the Atlas.

Safety

Now I also have good news for those of you who took your driver's test more than once because you couldn't pass it because Atlas is now including their driver's assist systems as standard equipment. So all four of your active safety features are now standard on the Atlas. 

These include a forward emergency braking system, auto-high beams, lane-keeping assist, and adaptive cruise control. So even if you go for that base model, you will have that as standard equipment.

Highlight And Lowlight

Some of the rivals are really focused on making the vehicles feel a little smaller than they are. These are very large SUVs at the end of the day, usually about 200 inches.

And I think I really like having that more tight feel; something like a Telluride is going to give you a little more of a tight handling feel. Even a CX-90 is a really big option in the segment if you care about driving Dynamics.

When it comes to the highlights of the 2024 Atlas, it has to be the 2024 improvements. With this refresh, I think Volkswagen really knocked it out of the park. I like the exterior changes that they've made, and the interior is where it really comes to life. They've made it more practical with storage solutions. 

It's a lot more luxurious than it ever was before. It really just brings it to one of the upper options in the segment, whereas previously the interior was a little less premium, and that was certainly something that we noticed. especially if you compare it to something like a Kia Telluride or Hyundai Palisade.