Review and Test Drive: 2018 Volkswagen Atlas V6 SE
Some new features (for VW) include remote access to the vehicle as well as emergency assistance on the SE and above, as well as a program that monitors the speed and location of young drivers who may be using the car.
We found four (yes four!) USB ports in the Snow Monster as well as the standard Car-Net infotainment system, which includes Apple CarPlay and its cousin, Android Auto. Apple CarPlay worked flawlessly in the Atlas; we didn’t have the opportunity to test the car with Android Auto, however.
Seat comfort was excellent throughout. The second-row seats tilt forward and fold to ease access to the third row and even those in the back had decent legroom.
DRIVING THE 2018 VW ATLAS
Climb aboard, buckle in, and press the start/stop button from a commanding vantage point.
The driver assistance technologies are worthy of note: the adaptive cruise control and lane-keeping assist came – at speeds of 40 mph (65 km/h) or above – closer to autonomous driving than any car I’ve driven in its price class and even higher. The adaptive cruise was capable of bringing the car to a complete stop and stay in place for roughly three seconds, resuming if conditions permitted. For longer stops, a simple tap on the accelerator pedal or the Resume button sufficed to resume operation.
Meanwhile, blind-spot monitoring and rear-view backup camera both worked well and the central information display did an excellent job of displaying what was behind.
Click here to continue to Page 3 – The Snow Monster
