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I Drifted a 2027 Volkswagen Atlas Prototype on Ice. It Seemed Promising

Volkswagen has an all-new version of the Atlas three-row on the way. I got an early look—and drive—of a prototype on ice.

2027 Volkswagen Atlas Prototype First Drive

Photo by: Volkswagen

Zander Sutton

By: Zander Sutton

Feb 11, at 11:00am ET

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The Volkswagen Atlas has always been a fine family crossover doing fine family crossover things. Launched in 2018, VW’s replacement for its loved but aging Touareg was built to capitalize on the booming three-row SUV market, and sales-wise, it was clearly the right move.

In 2025, over 80 percent of VW's sales were SUVs, and of them, 31 percent were the Atlas and Atlas Cross Sport. Even though the Atlas has been a success for VW, it's now hitting the eight-year mark in the fleet. With even more competition than ever, it's time for VW to suit up and release the next-generation car.

So, what’s next? Well, VW decided we should take a closer look at the upcoming Atlas by letting us hoon a prototype around an ice track in Canada to give us an idea of what the second-generation model will look and drive like.

All New, But Not So New

2027 Volkswagen Atlas Prototype First Drive

2027 Volkswagen Atlas Prototype

Photo by: Volkswagen

Because the Atlas we drove wore a multi-colored, ice-shard camo, most of its features were, predictably, hard to make out. Obviously, it has the same basic shape, but most of the finer details remain a secret. That said, if you want a good idea as to what the new Atlas will look like uncovered, look no further than the 2026 VW Teramont, aka the Chinese Atlas.

The design similarities between the Atlas and Teramont are obvious, but that's not necessarily a bad thing; the Teramont has been a big seller for VW for years. The Atlas will use the same front and rear fascias, with supposedly all-new body panels. The illuminated badge and rear lightbar from the facelifted 2024 Atlas return, with the only other exterior component that remains unchanged being the roof.

2027 Volkswagen Atlas Prototype First Drive

Photos by: Volkswagen

2027 Volkswagen Atlas Prototype First Drive

Photos by: Volkswagen

While trim and pricing information is unavailable, the model we drove, the SEL with the R-Line package, did have its traditional badging scattered around the exterior of the vehicle, poking through the Samsung Galaxy-default-background camo.

Unfortunately, we can't speak much about the interior of the Atlas. But what we can say is that the SUV is all new for the 2027 model year, and we were impressed with some aspects of it. Expect a more in-depth look and review of it after launch.

The Volkswagen Formula

2027 Volkswagen Atlas Prototype First Drive

Photo by: Volkswagen

The 2027 Atlas rides on a new MQB EVO platform, the same platform that underpins the smaller Tiguan. Yet it is "very similar" in size to the outgoing model, according to VW, to the point of having the same 117.3-inch wheelbase. Despite not getting any specific measurements, the new Atlas looks chunkier and boxier than before, playing on the styling trends of rival models like the Toyota Grand Highlander and Kia Telluride.

Power information is limited; however, the Atlas does have a new four-cylinder engine similar to that of the Tiguan. While we can’t say for sure what the power and torque figures are, expect a slight bump up from the Tiguan to account for the extra weight. Power is sent to either the front or all four wheels through the same eight-speed automatic used in the outgoing model.

We drove the new Atlas on a frozen lake, taking on a variety of tests meant to highlight the SUV's grip and control. Things like figure-eights, horseshoe tests, a full ice track, etc. While the Atlas did slide through snow more dramatically than expected, you can definitely tell that this is a front-drive-biased car, and despite it having a variable torque split, don't expect a true 50/50 setup.

2027 Volkswagen Atlas Prototype First Drive

Source: Volkswagen

That said, the Atlas did feel stable when driving it aggressively. Very few times was there a full 360 spin or pure loss of control, which, for an all-wheel-drive family car that may experience less-than-ideal conditions regularly, is worthy of note.

The only major issue we ran into was when we did, er, get slightly stuck in the snow, the car electronically set itself to neutral. It wouldn’t let us try to back out or drive forward. Granted, this was a pre-production car, and it might have just been software buggery, but we can foresee that having some ill-advised consequences if this happened without the aid of a winched-up F-150.

Just A Sample

Truthfully, as much fun as we had screwing around on a frozen lake, we didn't get the chance to experience what the new Atlas was like on normal roads doing normal road things. Sure, the engine felt powerful enough, but it was hard to get a sense of what it and the transmission and suspension would be like day to day.

Despite that, as far as first impressions of the powertrain and exterior go, there wasn’t a whole lot to fault. We would obviously love a more robust all-wheel drive system, something that could be a competitive advantage in this market segment, but we also understand nobody will drive their Atlas as hard as we did.

What do you think?

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Comments

There’s something about sliding a three-row SUV through snow that just scratches an itch, man.

Update: The original version of this story stated that the 2027 Atlas used a nine-speed automatic, when it has an eight-speed automatic. The story has been updated to reflect that.

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