VW Wants You to Off-Road the Atlas

The off-roading vehicles war is heating up and Volkswagen wants in. To chum the waters, the German automaker is bringing the Atlas Basecamp Concept to the New York International Auto Show plus the 2019 SEMA Show.

This thing looks surprisingly good. While it won’t be a trail monster, it is made to hit some fairly decent trails. The main purpose of the VW Atlas Basecamp Concept is catering to the needs of endurance mountain bikers. Of course, the SUV would be great for all kinds of outdoor excursions.

There are some cosmetic upgrades on this thing, because you have to make it look good for the shows. That includes a Platinum Gray paint job with matte Black Uni and orange accents. The SUV rolls on fifteen52 Traverse MX Concept wheels, which go on sale this fall. There’s also a custom body kit created by Air Design.

Useful for actual trail runs, an H&R lift kit with coil over springs provides about a 1.5-inch boost in ride height. There’s also a Front Runner Slimline II roof rack system outfitted with bike holders and LED light bars. Volkswagen could’ve at least slapped a recovery shovel on the roof and tried a little harder to pretend this thing is hardcore, but maybe it’s better this way.