Volkswagen's Atlas three-row has always offered just enough for families, and the updates it's received over the years haven't managed to push the needle to anything more than adequate. For 2024, Volkswagen has given the Atlas not a redesign, but a second refresh. The upgrades, which include a more premium interior and more output, are nice and all––but are they enough to finally make the Atlas stand out?

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Fresh New Looks

The Atlas remains boxy and rather generic on the outside for 2024, but some minor retouches here and there make its overall appearance at least a bit sportier than before. The new front and rear fascias gain trendy full-width lighting elements, while a new Peak Edition off-road trim joins the lineup. It's no Wrangler or Bronco, but it at least satisfies America's hankering for more soft roaders. The Atlas provided by VW is of course the fanciest of the bunch, trading out black cladding on the lower panels for more attractive paint-colored ones. In this case, that paint is a bright shade of red. While the Atlas is still familiar on the outside, that's because the main attraction of this refresh is the interior.

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Interior Takes A Big Leap Forward

While the Atlas's spacious interior was completely ignored in the previous refresh, Volkswagen has now addressed the aging cabin with a full refresh that's clearly meant to reach for segment stars like the Kia Telluride and the Hyundai Palisade. The larger 12" touchscreen and new 10.3" digital gauge cluster make the Atlas more relevant with its competitors, but to our delight, the updates go way beyond that. Materials have clearly not been overlooked, as the three-row VW now has fewer hard plastics (other manufacturers, please take note). In place of the plastics, the Atlas gains softer materials and more leather stitching around the dashboard, while more expensive models add quilted leather upholstery. There are several trim options for the door panels and other areas, including brushed metal, wood, and faux carbon fiber.

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Pros: Vastly improved cabin, slightly faster four-cylinder, one of the roomiest in its class

The New Tech Is Not An Upgrade

Beyond the interior's classy first glance, put it into proper use and some inconveniences begin to stand out. First of all, reaching for the updated center stack will reveal the lamented absence of physical controls. Favorable buttons and knobs have been traded out for the frustrating digital controls that have triggered many complaints in the latest Volkswagen Golf and ID.4. And the infotainment, while now larger and conveniently tilted towards the driver, features laggy new software––again something drivers have been complaining about in the Golf and ID.4. While the brand has recently acknowledged its missteps, it seems that the updated Atlas was too late in its development at the time. Fresh infotainment and cleaner controls may sound like nice upgrades on paper, but they're really just fixing something that was hardly broken in the first place.

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Out With The V6, Inline-Four Only

Yes, the 3.6 liter V6 engine is out. While that does leave the Atlas with just the base turbocharged 2.0 liter inline-four, it's been retuned to make up for the extra power lost in the old V6. The upgraded inline-four now makes 269 horsepower and 273 lb-ft of torque, which is notably more than before, but it still doesn't quite match the output made from the outgoing V6. The new engine is paired to an eight-speed automatic transmission, which we noticed had quicker downshifts than before. According to VW, the upgraded turbo-four does have a quicker 0-60 time that edges out the previous V6 AWD model by 0.8 seconds, though that particular V6 was rated at slightly below a meager 8 seconds.

If fuel economy is what your family really cares about, they'll be glad to hear that mileage has been improved across the board, with respective estimates of 23 mpg and 20 mpg combined for front- and all-wheel drive models. For those who like to tow, the Atlas can handle up to 5,000 pounds, which is the same as last year.

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Cons: No more physical controls, frustrating new infotainment, uninspiring to drive

Performance Is Adequate

Beyond the numbers, the Atlas delivers a driving experience that's just enough for families who don't care about speed. It's best described as comfortable, with just the right chassis tuning to keep the ride smooth when the road isn't. The Atlas manages to keep itself composed at corners, though pushing it hard will reveal its heavy curb weight, but that's something to be expected with large SUVs. Nothing about the way it drives will impress passengers, as most three-row crossovers like the Atlas save the wow factor for comfort and features.

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Verdict: A full redesign would've been the better solution, as the second refresh for this big VW didn't quite push things far enough. The Atlas isn't bad, it just doesn't offer anything that makes it better than rivals.