• Volkswagen took advantage of the New York Auto Show to unveil a new variant of its Atlas SUV.
• The Peak Edition model emphasizes ruggedness and off-road characteristics.
• The Atlas also gets cosmetic updates for the 2024 model year.
New York, New York – Volkswagen is making some tweaks to its Atlas SUV for 2024, including revised headlights, an updated interior, and new mechanics, among other things. At the New York Auto Show, we could see that the company had other plans for its utility, as it unveiled a new variant, the Peak Edition.
The Atlas Peak Edition is essentially a more rugged version of the model. That’s a big word, because the improvements made for off-road driving are minimal. There’s talk of additional side cladding to prevent nicks and scratches, roof rails and all-terrain tires, which are sized 255/60, belting 18-inch rims. Volkswagen itself explains that the changes are minor and do not affect the driving experience in any way.
In fact, the biggest improvements are visual. The new 18-inch gloss black rims are of the most beautiful effect. The logos are also painted in gloss black, and a new Peak Edition badging is affixed to the front quarter panel. A new original paint, Avocado Green, is also exclusive to this version.
The interior matches the exterior colors with black leatherette upholstery, gray accents and orange stitching. The door panels are decorated with a black metallic pattern exclusive to this variant, and the dashboard is decorated with an illuminated Peak Edition logo on the passenger side.
Otherwise, the Atlas Peak Edition benefits from the same elements as the regular Atlases. This hints at the presence of a 12-inch touchscreen for the multimedia system, as well as a 10.3-inch unit for the instrument cluster. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto apps are standard across the range. The now standard 2.0-liter turbo 4-cylinder engine makes an appearance under the hood, with an output of 269 horsepower and 273 lb-ft of torque.
This new variant brings nothing to the table for true off-road enthusiasts, but it does add some color to a rather gray SUV lineup.
Original content from auto123.
