Volkswagen Atlas Pricing Starts at Around $30,000
The world’s largest automaker stakes its claim in the SUV market with an relatively affordable offroader.
Volkswagen may be giving other manufacturers something to worry about here. With the likes of Ford, GM, and Toyota ruling the roost of the SUV market, Germany wants its share of the blossoming segment. Their freshest adventure-mobile, the Atlas, looks to put them in contention with the rest of them by starting right around $30,000 and providing plenty of utility to match.
VW North America CEO Hinrich Woebcken proves that they're aiming their sights at GM and Ford with this statement -- "In the past VW used to charge a premium compared to the competition. To that end the Atlas sits between the Chevy Traverse and Ford Explorer in terms of entry-level pricing."
Each of the American models named hold a recognizably large portion of the affordable SUV category. As Woebcken said, we're used to seeing hefty bigs like the Touareg go for $40K+, so the Atlas will be a refreshing break from that. This is in effort to hit a broader demographic which is especially obvious in America. With the U.S. being one of the top markets for Volkswagen, that's a smart decision.
But don't think that the Atlas will be any less of a product. Volkswagen claims that you'll see most of the same utility as you did in their previous models without all of the unnecessary frills in standard trim. You can, however, option the Atlas to the high heavens -- reaching all the way to $48K with the available V6 and 4Motion all wheel drive system.
Expect to see the Atlas in U.S. showrooms in May. With a quickly approaching arrival date, we're anxious to see how it stacks up to the competition in terms of usability and comfort.
