VW Crossover Dubbed Atlas

Volkswagen AG’s upcoming midsize crossover vehicle will be called “Atlas,” reports Germany’s Automobilwoche.

The seven-passenger model, which is based on the 2013 CrossBlue concept, is expected to be unveiled later this month and arrive in dealerships next spring. VW reportedly filed trademark applications earlier this year for the Atlas name in the U.S.

VW Group of America CEO Hinrich Woebcken previously suggested that the new midsize vehicle, which will be produced at VW’s Chattanooga, Tenn., plant, would get an “American-style name” that’s easier to pronounce than the company's Tiguan and Touareg models.

Built on VW’s modular transverse matrix platform, the Atlas will give VW a more affordable entrant in the ultra-hot crossover segment. The compact Tiguan and larger Touareg both have been faulted for being over-priced.