How much difference does three feet — and 50 years — make?
It's the difference between a 1970 Volkswagen Beetle — that could carry four people, two of them very uncomfortably and all of them very slowly — and a 2021 VW Atlas. Which can carry seven comfortably and speedily.
The Atlas is, without a doubt, the largest VW ever. But it isn't overwhelmingly large, even relative to the very small.
What It Is
The Atlas is a full-size, three-row crossover SUV that competes with models such as the Subaru Ascent, Mazda CX-9 (which seats seven), and the new Kia Telluride and Hyundai Palisade, which both seat eight.
Prices start at $31,545 for the base S trim, which comes standard with a turbocharged, 2.0-liter, four-cylinder engine, an eight-speed automatic transmission and front-wheel drive.
VW's 4Motion all-wheel drive is available optionally.
You can also opt for a V-6 engine — which was rare in the class until the Telluride and Palisade appeared last year; those two come standard with one.
Prices for a V-6-equipped Atlas start at $34,745 for an S trim with front-wheel drive and crest at $50,691 for an SEL Premium R-Line trim with fully automated self-parking, a 12-speaker Fender audio rig, 21-inch wheels and VW's Digital Cockpit instrument cluster.
What's New
The Atlas gets a restyled front end and revised interior trim.
What's Good
The available V-6 engine (unavailable in four-cylinder-only rivals such as the Ascent and CX-9).
It pulls as much as 5,000 pounds.
It's related to a German luxury car brand.
What's Not So Good
Newer rivals such as the Telluride and Palisade seat eight, come standard with a V-6 engine and cost less.
It only tows 2,000 pounds if you don't opt for the V-6 engine.
All-wheel drive isn't standard (it is in the Ascent).
Under the Hood
The Atlas is the largest VW so far, but it comes standard with an engine only slightly larger than a '70 Beetle's engine.
Both are four-cylinder engines — the '70 displacing 1.6 liters and the '21 displacing 2.0 liters. But there's a 50-year difference between then and now when it comes to how much power you get.
Back in '70, 1.6 liters meant 56 horsepower and 82 foot-pounds of torque. Today, 2.0 liters means 235 horsepower and 258 foot-pounds of torque.
It also means an eight-speed automatic transmission today versus a four-speed manual then.
And it means zero to 60 mph in just over seven seconds versus 17 seconds 50 years ago.
You can send all that horsepower — and torque — through the front wheels or all four wheels as opposed to just the rear wheels back in 1970.
The optional Atlas engine is VW's 3.6-liter V-6, which makes 276 horsepower and 266 foot-pounds of torque.
It's also paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission and your pick of front-wheel drive or all-wheel drive.
On the Road
Size does matter — when you're trying to park, for instance.
The Atlas won't fit into a Beetle-sized spot, but it will fit into most spots because it's only about six inches longer overall than a current midsize sedan such as the Toyota Camry — which doesn't seat seven.
You also sit higher because the Atlas is a crossover — which helps you see where you're parking. And this VW can park itself — totally hands-free — if you buy the Premium trim, which comes standard with this technologically amazing ... technology.
Whether to buy the four- or the six-cylinder is less a question of power or performance, because both engines are very close in those departments, and more a question of gas mileage. The V-6 is definitely thirstier — 16 mpg city, 22 mpg highway versus 21 mpg city, 24 mpg highway for the turbocharged four.
At the Curb
VW faced the same problem that Porsche had when it created the first big Porsche: how to make it not too big — both in size and looks — while still being big enough to meet the needs of people who need more than a small car.
The Atlas is thus remarkably roomy without being overwhelming.
It's just three feet longer than a Beetle — one of the smallest cars ever made. Yet it has more room in its third row than a Beetle had in its second — and a second row that's light-years roomier and vastly more comfortable than the front row of a '70 Beetle.
You could almost put a Beetle inside the Atlas, too.
It has 20.6 cubic feet of space behind its third row and 96.8 cubic feet with its second and third row folded.
And you can get unimaginable — back in 1970 — features in this VW, such as a flat-screen digital instrument cluster.
Plus, of course, a working heater.
The Rest
A really nice thing about the Atlas is that both of its available engines do not require premium gas to make their advertised power or deliver their advertised mileage. Some rivals' engines do require it — and make less power if you don't use it.
The Bottom Line
Three feet — and 50 years — make all the difference!
Eric's new book, "Don't Get Taken for a Ride!" is available now. To find out more about Eric and read his past columns, please visit the Creators Syndicate webpage at www.creators.com.
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