Every crossover/SUV needs to have a rugged "outdoorsy" edition, it seems. That includes Volkswagen's Atlas. Meet the 2024 Volkswagen Atlas Peak Edition.
As with most of these special editions, the majority of any changes are cosmetic. In this case, the Atlas Peak Edition gets a black X-shaped trim piece that flanks the mostly blacked-out grille, which itself gets two chrome strips and a light-up VW logo.
(Full disclosure: Volkswagen flew me to New York and fed and housed me so that I could see the Atlas Peak Edition before most other journalists).
There's a Peak Edition badge on the front quarter panel, black wheels, and black and silver side sills. Other blackout bits include the mirror caps, window surround, roof rails, tailgate strip, and wheel arches. The rear diffuser is black and silver and the exhaust has chrome bezels.
Two new exterior colors that are only available to Peak Edition buyers are Avocado Green and Pure Grey.
Inside, black leatherette seats have orange stitching. A Peak Edition logo is on the passenger side of the dash. There are over 30 colors available when it comes to ambient lighting.
VW tells us that the Peak Edition will be available on two of the current trim levels of the Atlas, but spokesfolk wouldn't get more specific than that. Confusing us more, they referred to the Peak Edition itself as a trim, but a bit of back-and-forth seemed to confirm that the Peak Edition is like R-Line -- you pick a trim, and if the trim is available with Peak Edition packaging, you can add it.
Look, we get it -- these off-road editions that are mostly cosmetic changes can feel like cynical exercises in marketing. That may be true here since the only mechanical change involves the all-season rubber. Well, that and the Peak Edition will be all-wheel-drive only.
But customers seem to love these special editions, at least based on what the OEMs tell us (I've not yet seen reliable data on sales breakdowns). All I can say is that the Peak Edition adds a little flair to the Atlas, and maybe that's enough to sway a buyer away from a competing model. Crossover competition, especially in this segment and price point, is fierce, after all.
My cynical journalist side is programmed to roll my eyes at any special edition that doesn't meaningfully change driving dynamics, but I am also not the average car buyer. The Peak Edition does make the Atlas look a tad bit more interesting, and if that convinces a few more folks to sign on the dotted line, well, I get it.
If the current Atlas isn't rugged-looking enough for you, the Peak Edition might be what you need. VW won't talk pricing yet, but we should know that sometime this summer.
[Images © 2023 Tim Healey/TTAC]
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