Volkswagen Atlas Named ‘2026 Car of the Year’ in South Korea
Tops Internal Combustion Engine SUV Category
Praised for Exceptional Performance and Convenience
Volkswagen’s flagship SUV, the Atlas, has clinched the top spot in the internal combustion engine SUV category at the ‘2026 Car of the Year’ awards, hosted by the Korea Automobile Journalists Association.
The prestigious award evaluates vehicles across 22 categories, including design, driving dynamics, convenience features, and safety technologies.
Atlas Outperforms Tough Competition
The Atlas faced stiff competition in its category, going up against well-established models like the Hyundai Palisade and Volvo XC90.
However, the jury was particularly impressed by the Atlas’s class-leading spaciousness, array of convenience features, and robust safety systems, deeming it a worthy contender in the large SUV segment.
The Atlas stands out with its generous third-row seating, comfortably accommodating adults. When extra cargo space is needed, the second and third rows can be folded to create over 2,700 liters of storage.
This versatility makes the Atlas an ideal choice for large families, offering ample room for multiple passengers and the flexibility to install several child seats simultaneously.
Acclaimed for Superior Safety Engineering
The Volkswagen Atlas also garnered high praise for its safety credentials, a sentiment echoed beyond South Korean experts.
In the United States, the Atlas has earned the coveted ‘Top Safety Pick’ designation from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) for three consecutive years.
This consistent top-tier performance, amidst increasingly stringent global safety standards, underscores the Atlas’s robust engineering and unwavering reliability.
A Volkswagen spokesperson emphasized the Atlas as “a large SUV that makes no compromises in space, performance, or safety.” The representative further affirmed Volkswagen’s commitment to serving South Korean customers.
Impressive Driving Dynamics in a Large SUV Package
While convenience and safety are crucial, a vehicle’s driving performance remains paramount in scoring high marks during evaluations.
The Atlas shines in this aspect, leveraging German engineering prowess with its 2.0 TSI engine and all-wheel-drive system. This combination delivers surprisingly agile and stable handling for a vehicle of its size.
Boasting a maximum output of 273 horsepower and peak torque of 37.7 kg.m, the Atlas offers impressive performance. It excels not only in daily driving scenarios but also demonstrates remarkable capability on challenging terrains.
The judging panel was particularly impressed by the Atlas’s performance during rigorous testing in extreme conditions in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province.
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