VW’s Enthusiast Fleet grows with lowered and more powerful Atlas
A little more R is injected into lifestyle SUV
Volkswagen of America is putting a little more Sport in the Atlas Cross Sport with this new lowered GT concept. It’s the latest in the company’s enthusiast fleet and it’s nice to see a crossover that’s getting low instead of being raised to the clouds.
“The launch of the all-new Golf GTI and Golf R got us thinking about how to inject some of that VW magic into our SUVs,” said Scott Keogh, CEO, Volkswagen Group of America. “This concept is proof that it’s possible to build SUVs that could appeal to our performance enthusiast base.”
The modifications were done by VW enthusiast Jamie Orr, working for Volkswagen to complete the concept. The Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport GT started with the striking Eisvogelblau that’s only offered by VW in Europe and went from there.
This is a 2.0L powered Atlas, but it’s not the usual Atlas engine. Instead, it’s taken straight out of a Golf R and then modified with a new turbo to make more than 300 hp. That power is sent through a seven-speed DSG and VW’s 4Motion all-wheel drive.
“The production model has excellent acceleration, braking and handling for its size, but we knew we wanted to push the car even further so it could live up to its GT name,” Orr said.
22-inch wheels from ABT are wrapped in Yokohama Advan tires measuring 285 wide. ST Suspension coil overs with GT concept branded springs handle the lowering while Tarox eight-pot front brakes make sure the quicker Atlans can stop in a hurry.
Recaro Sportster seats hold the driver in place, while the interior is also filled out with more blue accents and VW accessories.
It will go on tour this summer at select VW events. We hope it’s popular enough that Volkswagen decides something with a little more R is exactly what the SUV market is looking for.
