- 5-passenger Atlas Cross Sport to go on sale in 2019
- VW Atlas Tanoak pickup concept takes unibody approach
- Part of VW’s big push for SUVs and trucks
In looking to put its diesel emissions scandal behind it and rebuild its place in the U.S. market, Volkswagen has embarked on an aggressive strategy to expand its crossover SUV lineup and is seriously looking at a traditional domestic stronghold, pickup trucks. Recently, the German automaker gave us the chance to briefly drive the Volkswagen Atlas Tanoak and Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport concepts.
Both are one-off, handmade vehicles built for the auto-show circuit, though the latter is a sure bet to make it into production. The former, not so much. The Atlas Cross Sport is a 2-row/5-passenger variant of the existing Volkswagen Atlas 3-row crossover SUV, while the VW Tanoak is a midsize pickup truck that’s also based on the Atlas. Like the Honda Ridgeline, the Tanoak favors comfort-oriented sedan-like unibody construction, vs. a stiffer but more robust body-on-frame chassis of traditional pickups like the Chevrolet Colorado or Ford F-150.
These vehicles made a splash earlier this year at the New York auto show. To show that they aren’t just some designers’ fantasy, Volkswagen brought both to the recent Monterey Car Week that concludes with the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance.
Volkswagen Tanoak – the future of pickup trucks?
So, what’s it like to drive a pair of priceless, handmade concept cars? Before sharing my brief experience, it must be noted that it’s laudable that these vehicles could even be driven at all. Hand-built with a lot of one-off soft tooling, these prototype vehicles feel the complete opposite of every other car on the road: Not very fast, not fully baked, and with a fair share of squeaks and rattles. If anything, they prove how far cars come when they are produced en mass.
I started in the Volkswagen Tanoak, which uses a similar powertrain as one in the production Atlas 3-row crossover – a 3.6-liter V6 that makes 276 horsepower. I never had the chance to exploit much of that power in the Tanoak, nor vet its all-wheel-drive system. Volkswagen’s engineers limited the speed of its concept cars to less than 30 mph, and restricted our test runs to just a couple of miles on flat asphalt. In fact, VW was being so careful with these things — wouldn’t you be, too? — that they had executives riding passenger and a security vehicle tailing us.
But that doesn’t mean one can’t get the feel of what this concept would be like if it makes it into production. Inside, the Tanoak’s crew-cab, 5-passenger interior looks impressive and futuristic. It’s a sweet complement to the rugged-yet-also-futuristic exterior.
Will Volkswagen actually build the Tanoak? That’s still a question mark. Even the executives we spoke with said they didn’t know and are still studying the U.S. market (and assuredly the Tanoak’s biggest would-be competitor, the Honda Ridgeline). While it’s hard to speak to this VW truck’s ride quality or other traits from this teaser taste of a prototype, we think it would have a fighting chance should it come to market.
Consider: When SUVs switched from body-on-frame platforms to sedan-based unit-body construction starting in the late 1990s, many industry insiders wondered if new-car buyers would be willing to trade some towing and off-road capability for a plusher ride and better fuel efficiency. The answer was a resounding yes, and the majority of SUVs now use unibody platforms. While trucks are inherently built for capability, we can envision a future where some buyers swap some of that for a more comfortable ride and better efficiency, all while the retaining the usefulness of having a truck bed to carry stuff. Who knows, maybe the “crossover truck” will also become the new norm.
Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport – a stylish, 5-passenger crossover
While the Tanoak’s production is still unknown, that isn’t the case with the 5-passenger VW Atlas. Volkswagen has confirmed that one is coming next year. The idea is to give customers a slightly smaller, sportier and more stylistic version of the Atlas. It should compete well with vehicles like the Ford Edge.
Our time in the Atlas Cross Sport concept was much like that of the Tanoak: slow, creaky, and nearly impossible to judge. Like the truck, this Atlas’ speed was also severely limited, and we were limited to the same, roughly 2-mile drive. Still, VW’s choice of powertrain – a plug-in hybrid system, was interesting and as much a showcase as the car itself. And it’s actually just one of several powertrains that VW is studying. This one uses a V6 engine and two electric motors for total output of 355 horsepower and an all-electric range of 26 miles. Another system is a “mild hybrid” that also pairs an electrified powertrain to a V6 engine, which together would make 310 horses. We suspect that when the 5-passenger Atlas hits the market, it will do so as a standard, gas-powered vehicle. Like the Atlas that’s currently for sale, VW could use the 2.0-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder engine or its 3.6-liter V6.
It’s also still too early speculate price (the current Atlas starts at $31,425). If there’s one definitive thing we can say from our time in the Volkswagen Tanoak and Atlas Cross Sport, it’s that both offer their own exciting new twists on the Atlas architecture. That crossover SUV is already finding success thanks to its roominess, utility and VW’s excellent new warranty. A 5-passenger variant will be a welcome, slightly smaller addition to the lineup. Meanwhile, the Tanoak, if it ever becomes a reality, could usher in a new era of how we see and use pickup trucks.
