VW Enthusiast But Need A Family Friendly Daily Driver?
You can’t hold back time. Many car enthusiasts who have been modifying sedans and hatchbacks since high school know this better than most. As you try and stretch out your do-it-yourself prowess for just a few more years, you need to accommodate for the spouse and the multiple amount of kids. It’s time for you to buy a family car and a Volkswagen Tiguan or Atlas could be just what your doctor will order.
No doubt, you’re now thinking that you aren’t ready for an SUV. They’re dull and heavy looking compared to some of the sedans or hatchbacks you’ve modified during the years.
First, they aren’t as stodgy as you might remember and manufacturers have learned to equip them with engines that sip gas rather then devour it. And, oh, by the way, your family is growing every day and you need to get real as far as how to deal with it.
As prove that SUV manufacturers are pushing on into the 21st Century, all you need to do is look at a concept SUV from Volkswagen that has a familiar name –- Atlas.
Recently unveiled at the Shanghai Auto Show, the vehicle is a hybrid that seats five and is smaller than the SUVs that you remember. The measurables include a length of 190.8-inches, a height of 68.3-inches and a width of 79.9-inches. That makes it 7.5-inches shorter in length, 1.7-inches shorter in height, and 1.7-inches wider than the production version of the Atlas.
Moreover, it’s equipped with the same goodies as you might find on a current sedan or more goodies than a previous sedan that you may have modified back in the day. It includes a 10.1-inch touchscreen, a 12.3-inch digital cockpit, an active shift lever for the 4MOTION all-wheel-drive system, and a 3.6-liter V6 that generates 276-horsepower and 266-lb.-ft. of torque, and two electric motors that produce another 54-horsepower and 162-lb.-ft of torque from the front motor and 114-horsepower and 199-lb.-ft. of torque from the second motor in the rear. So the combination of the electric motors and the engine create an output of 355-horsepower.
It runs from 0-60 mph in 5.4-seconds and the 18-kWh battery has a range of 26-miles when traveling on electricity alone.
Impressed? Then you’re ready to learn about the current SUV models that Volkswagen is now offering –- the Atlas and the Tiguan.
Available for about $32,000, the 2019 Atlas seats seven and comes in a choice of five trims –- the S, the SE, the SE with Tech, the SEL, and the SEL Premium.
A standard 2.0-liter turbocharged I-4 engine powers the vehicle and generates 235-horsepower and 258-lb.-ft. of torque. A 3.6-liter, V-6 engine is available on the base S trim and is standard on the remaining trims. This engine produces 276-horsepower and 266-lb.-ft. of torque. An eight-speed automatic transmission is included with both engines. The 4-cylinder engine achieves an EPA fuel economy rating of 22 mpg in the city and 26 mpg on the highway. The V-6, when it works the front-wheel drive system has an EPA fuel economy rating of 17-mpg in the city and 24-mpg on the highway. When working an all-wheel drive system, the V-6 achieves an EPA fuel economy rating of 17-mpg city and 23-mpg highway.
It also has safety features including forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking, pedestrian detection, blind spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert as standard on all trims.
The 2019 Volkswagen Tiguan can be had for about $25,000 and seats seven. Six trims are available –- the S, the SE, the SEL, the SEL R-Line, the SEL Premium, and the SEL Premium R-Line. New for 2019 is that an alarm system is standard on the SE trim and VW’s Digital Cockpit and park distance control are standard on the SEL.
Also standard are a six-speaker stereo and 6.5-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay, and Android Auto. An 8-inch display as well as voice control and SiriusXM and HD Radio appears on the SW model. A nine-speaker Fender audio system is included on the SEL Premium trim.
So there you have it. SUV vehicles that accommodate a growing family and that provide you with at least some amenities you thought you’d have to give up when transitioning from DIY loner to responsible family man.
