VW Premieres Atlas Weekend Edition Ahead of Chicago

The Chicago Auto Show starts this week—me neither—and Volkswagen of America is premiering a new trim package the Atlas, the Weekend Edition.

Inspired by the popular Vanagon and Eurovan Weekender packages from the ‘80s—which featured a pop-top and closet, but no stove or fridge—the Atlas Weekend Edition is designed to be perfect for a weekend excursion. The trunk is lined with protective plastic, the roof is topped with a pop-up cargo box, and to access it steps have been added to the SUV’s sills.

The cargo box, officially called the Urban Loader cargo box, folds neatly against itself when unused, but expands to accommodate 17.7 cubic feet of cargo when you need it. Carrier bars also come with the package to allow for the transportation of skis, snowboards, kayaks, and all manner of outdoor toys.

Window and hood deflectors, mud flaps, and 18-inch Prisma wheels finished in a special anthracite grey help differentiate the Weekend Edition from the outside.

Inside, a cargo divider makes the Atlas Weekend Edition ideal pet owners or people carrying fragile items. Rubber mats and a plastic trunk liner, meanwhile, make for easy cleaning and protect the carpet from mud or snow you might track in.

In the second row, meanwhile, there’s a universal tablet mount to allow passengers to enjoy films, games, or books on long drives to the ski hill, for instance.

Under all the extras, though, this is an SEL Premium model, which means it comes with 4Motion all-wheel-drive, a VR6 engine making 276 hp, and an 8-speed transmission.

The majority of the options, says VW, will be available when the Atlas launches in the spring.

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