Volkswagen 2020 Chicago Auto Show News

The Volkswagen auto show display highlighted the Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport, which was shown in bright orange, blue, and green colors. The 5-seater Atlas Cross Sport midsize SUV is expected to hit dealerships later this spring. While the Atlas Cross Sport test track wasn’t in swing for the show’s media day, visitors were allowed to tour the the vehicles inside and out while the staff prepped the track for the following day. A variety of favorites from the lineup were displayed, though the highlight was the arcade game-style Volkswagen Golf GTI track challenge.

VW Press Conference

Things went into full swing at the 11:30 a.m press conference on February 6th. Chief Operating Officer Johan de Nysschen took the stage to talk a bit about how Volkswagen was preparing to embrace change within the auto industry. He even described it as the brand’s “most exciting time in America” and mentioned that the “time’s right for Volkswagen.”

The “exciting times” he referenced referred to the future of electric vehicles. He likened VW to a “driver of change” rather than a victim of it.” Volkswagen is pushing for a goal of complete carbon neutrality by 2050 — this means absolutely no carbon footprint from their vehicles.” Nysschen said this was both a “responsibility and opportunity” for Volkswagen. 

The new, reimagined Atlas debuted during the press conference. Attendees were wowed by red, white, and silver versions of the popular VW SUV. The brand is keeping things state-side, and these models will be manufactured right here in America in Chattanooga, TN.

Next, Senior Vice President of Product Marketing & Strategy, Hein Schafer, took the stage to dive deeper into the design and performance attributes of the 2021 Atlas. He first highlights that there has been a 32% increase in Atlas sales since 2018, then went on to walk through some of the highlights:

• Seating for 7 adults
• New and improved driver assist systems
• New LED headlights and taillight designs and a bold grille
• Standard 20-inch wheels and available 21-inch wheels
• An upscale interior with available leather seating surfaces
• 8-inch infotainment screens standard on all but the base model
• Wi-Fi capabilities
• Traffic Jam Assist and improved Lane Keeping Assist
• 4-cylinder engine available with 4MOTION® All-Wheel Drive for the first time

The last highlight was an incredible 4-year/50,000-mile bumper-to-bumper warranty, in addition to two years of care-free maintenance. While pricing has yet to be released, we can expect for the 2021 Atlas to hit stores later in the spring.