Can the 2027 Volkswagen Atlas Fix Its Biggest Mistakes?
What Car Shoppers Should Know
- We asked our expert reviewers what they want from the upcoming 2027 Volkswagen Atlas SUV.
- The redesigned 2027 Atlas will debut at the 2026 New York International Auto Show in April.
- We’ve seen what a camouflaged version looks like but don’t yet know anything else about the new Atlas.
Volkswagen announced a redesigned 2027 Atlas three-row SUV is coming soon. Other than some (admittedly cool) images of a camouflaged version hooning around in the snow, we don’t know anything about VW’s next flagship. The 2024 Atlas finished in second place in our most recent comparison test of three-row SUVs, but there were some glaring issues. With that in mind, we asked our expert reviewers what they’d like to see improved in the next Atlas, and three specific desires stood out.
Related: Tech, Powertrain Glitches Drive Low Scores in J.D. Power Dependability Study
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More Physical Controls, Please
- Takeaway: Volkswagen’s interior controls have veered too far into the digital world, and we long for intuitive physical controls.
Physical controls in the interior are top of nearly every editor’s mind on our staff, and for good reason. As slick as the current Atlas’ interior looks, its climate controls are mostly in the central touchscreen display with touch-sensitive sliders for the temperature below the screen. Another touch-sensitive slider controls audio volume.
“The multimedia system, which also incorporates all climate and other controls, is a massive pile of steaming hot garbage,” according to Detroit Bureau Chief Aaron Bragman. A return to good ol’ physical controls for climate and audio enhances the premium feeling of the interior and means drivers won’t have to try to operate a slider in a moving vehicle.
Secondary to this is a more useful center console layout. Some editors noted that the current center console is not the most storage-friendly design for a family vehicle and specifically called out the tiny gear selector’s not-so-tiny footprint as a potential area for improvement.
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Better Reliability
- Takeaway: The issues currently plaguing both Volkswagen and the Atlas specifically make it hard to recommend.
The then-new 2018 Atlas won our overall Best of 2018 award, and we owned one for a year and over 12,000 miles with few real mechanical issues. But VW’s finish at the very bottom of the most recent J.D. Power Dependability Study makes us hesitant about the automaker as a whole, and the Atlas has been subject to a number of recalls over the years. Given how much of the Dependability Study was influenced by tech-specific glitches, and our proposed changes to the new Atlas’ tech above, we’re also hopeful that this can be corrected pretty easily.
A Hybrid VW?
- Takeaway: More three-row SUVs are going the hybrid route to add both power and efficiency. We’d like the Atlas to join the crowd.
With the Hyundai Palisade, Kia Telluride and two versions of the Toyota Grand Highlander currently or soon to be available with hybrid powertrains, Volkswagen would be smart to add a hybrid powertrain option to the new Atlas. Will it, though? The brand has previously talked about adding hybrids to its North American lineup, but it currently doesn’t sell any. Across the global Volkswagen Group lineup, most “hybrid” choices are either mild hybrids or plug-in hybrids, and the automaker attempted to recover from its diesel emissions scandal by leaning hard into fully electric vehicles.
The Palisade Hybrid is our preferred Palisade to drive, and the Grand Highlander hybrids offer responsive power with relatively impressive fuel economy (we’re still waiting to drive the new Telluride Hybrid). Adding a powerful — or at least fuel-efficient — hybrid choice to the Atlas would make it more competitive with the current class leaders.
The alternative is likely another high-output turbocharged four-cylinder. While the current Atlas does have a pretty good four-cylinder in terms of power and refinement, it trails competing hybrids by a considerable margin in combined fuel-efficiency ratings.
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Keep Its Interior Big
- Takeaway: The Atlas has a roomy interior that makes it a great vehicle for larger families, with an adult-size third row of seats.
Based on images of the new Atlas, it looks to be roughly as big as the outgoing generation, with updated styling that makes it look more like a bigger version of the recently redesigned Tiguan. We’re thankful we can keep affectionately referring to the Atlas as the “Biguan.” Hopefully, the Atlas’ interior space remains at the top of the class.
We’ll know more once the 2027 Atlas makes its official debut in April, so stay tuned.
Cars.com’s Editorial department is your source for automotive news and reviews. In line with Cars.com’s long-standing ethics policy, editors and reviewers don’t accept gifts or free trips from automakers. The Editorial department is independent of Cars.com’s advertising, sales and sponsored content departments.
