Production of the New VW Atlas Begins in Tennessee
Volkswagen of America celebrated the start of assembly of the new 2027 Atlas family at its plant in Chattanooga, Tennessee—a key milestone for the brand’s operations in the United States.
Local government officials, community representatives, and Volkswagen executives attended to commemorate the occasion and sign the commemorative hood of the first Atlas.
Since its introduction in December 2016, the Volkswagen Atlas has become a pivotal chapter in the history of the Chattanooga plant.
Designed specifically for the North American market, this three-row SUV spurred an initial investment of $900 million in the expansion of the facility and “signaled Volkswagen’s commitment to assembling vehicles tailored to American families,” said Henning Habicht, the plant’s director of operations.
The SUV is a cornerstone of the Volkswagen brand’s identity in the U.S. market. Since the first Atlas rolled off the assembly line, the Chattanooga plant has produced more than one million Atlas units and its Atlas Cross Sport variant.
This volume has helped establish this model as one of Volkswagen’s best-sellers in the United States and reinforced the Tennessee plant’s role as a key component of the company’s growth strategy in North America.
“Beginning assembly of the new 2027 Atlas is an exciting milestone for our team in Chattanooga,” said Habicht, adding that “this achievement reflects the skill, dedication, and commitment of our workforce, whose craftsmanship and attention to detail are the foundation of every vehicle we assemble.”
According to the German automaker, the new 2027 Atlas builds on the success of the original model with a “bolder design, more advanced technology, and premium features where they’re needed most.”
Powered by a 2.0-liter EA888 evo5 turbocharged engine that produces 282 caballos de fuerza, this model delivers the highest power output in the brand’s history, while improving efficiency compared to the previous generation.
The brand asserts that every Atlas that rolls off the assembly line “embodies the skill, dedication, and pride of those who assemble it”—a workforce of more than 4,000 employees who drive operations in Chattanooga “by combining advanced assembly expertise with a commitment to quality to bring each vehicle to life.”
Volkswagen states that the expertise, innovation, and teamwork of its employees not only drive the Atlas’s success, “but also strengthen Volkswagen’s long-term investment in U.S. manufacturing and in the Chattanooga community.”
