2027 Volkswagen Atlas: 2026 New York Auto Show

The Volkswagen Atlas, which was all-new for the U.S. market in 2018, enters its second generation for 2027 with new tech, high-class amenities, and more standard family friendly features. Here are the most important things you should know about the 2027 Volkswagen Atlas introduced this week at the New York Auto Show.

Though the engine displacement doesn’t change, the 2027 Volkswagen Atlas is equipped with the new EA888 “evo5” turbocharged 2.0-liter, 4-cylinder engine. The previous-generation engine delivered 269 horsepower and 273 pound-feet of torque; the new engine produces 282 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque. Max towing capacity remains 5,000 pounds for models with the factory-installed trailer hitch.

Front-wheel drive is still standard with AWD being available on all trims.

A hybrid is coming

Buried in the press release, Volkswagen dropped a single sentence that says: “A hybrid variant is planned to arrive with the midcycle refresh.” No other details. That’s all she wrote. However, sources around the web report that this is intended to be a conventional hybrid rather than a mild hybrid, like those currently available in other VW and Audi models.

More luxury

Starting with the exterior, we see a new headlight treatment with double-stacked LED headlights and light bar as well as a masked upper grille. We also see the lighted VW emblem standard on all but the base trim. Other available premium features include illuminated door handles as well as unique puddle lamps. You also have standard dynamic turn signals with three animations.

On the interior, the materials move upscale with real wood accents and available massaging Nappa leather seats. Leatherette seats remain standard on he base models. A 12.9 inch infotainment screen is standard on the base trim, with a 15-inch screen being standard on all other models. Also standard is a 10.25-inch digital gauge cluster.

More tech

While ambient lighting is typically reserved for upper trim levels, you now have a standard 10-color setup, with the top two trim levels getting a more robust 30-color system. A new 9-speaker audio system is standard, and a 14-speaker Harman Kardon-brand premium audio system is available. Dual wireless phone chargers in front are now standard with new “Qi2” technology. Also on the tech front, the Atlas comes standard with a one-year trial subscription to Premium Speech, VW’s generative AI-enabled voice assistant.

Family friendly features

The 2027 Atlas is about an inch longer, which means the three-row SUV is able to maintain its spacious interior—including the usable third row. Other family friendly features include seven USB-C charge ports available through the cabin, standard power tailgate, front and rear parking sensors, and rear sun shades. Additionally, the gearshift moves to the column, which frees up space on the console to store more stuff.

CG Says:

We don’t have a lot of additional details on the 2027 Volkswagen Atlas. We know it will be available this fall, and that it will be built in VW’s Chattanooga, Tennessee, plant. We don’t even have a starting price yet. But the current base price for the 2026 Atlas is about $40,000, and we don’t see the price increasing significantly over that—even with all the new standard content.

We’ve always liked how the Atlas drives, so we won’t complain about more horsepower. Add in the extra standard features and more technology, and this should be a nice family package.