Next year will see the all-electric ID.4 compact SUV and a substantially updated Atlas seven-passenger model.
Volkswagen shed light on the future offerings for the U.S. Market at a special media conference in Michigan today. As you can probably guess from the title, SUVs are the future. The SUV is not the only thing that’s being discussed. However, VW made it clear that sedans will be around for the foreseeable future. However, the big news is that VW will introduce two new compact SUVs to North America. This includes its first fully-electric offering on the MEB platform.
VW did not provide much information about these new models other than basic market information. The EV SUV will debut first, and the covers will open in 2020. Although VW representatives were reluctant to give names, this ID.4 hybrid EV SUV has been spotted on occasions. It will be manufactured at the Chattanooga facility of VW. The ID.Crozz concept suggests that it will have dual motors to provide all-wheel drive grip in the 300-horsepower (224 kilowatts) range.
We haven’t heard much of the second SUV. It’s a small, compact SUV that can be positioned behind the Tiguan In VW’s lineup, where they will compete against machines such as the Nissan Rogue Sport, Jeep Compass, and Kia Sportage among others. It will be an internal combustion affair. Some might be tempted, however, to call it a U.S. version Euro-spec Nivus. It will be made in Mexico and specifically designed for North America. VW says it will be on the market by Summer 2021.
The larger Atlas VW is bringing a facelifted model to the market for the 2021 model-year. This will bump VW’s usual four-year refresh cycle by one year. This is indicative of how competitive the SUV market is today, and VW will not simply give the Atlas restyled body panels. The interior will be updated by the manufacturer with a new steering column, touchscreen of 8 inches, new driver assistance, and the Atlas will expand nearly three inches. We won’t know if this means more space for passengers, but the refreshed Atlas will be available as a 2021 model.
VW claims that it is reducing its sedans by three times for the U.S. market and has no plans to discontinue the Jetta or Arteon or Passat.
VW stated in its presentation that “While some brands have left car sales, we are focusing on making smart decisions within this segment which remains a large part of the market.”
It’s a thinly veiled slap at GM, especially Ford. GM has decided to abandon the sedan segment in America and make way for SUVs.