It's exactly what VW should NOT do.

The R-Line will push the price of the Atlas even higher when the brand should be doing everything in its power to convey affordability, value, and ruggedness.

VW has to get it into their thick skulls that in the American market place they are NOT seen as premium or even near-premium and placing vehicles in that price segment only makes them look even more out of touch.

The Atlas R Line will likely cross the $50K mark and that's what Audi is for.

The consumers out there see VW as a less trustworthy mainstream brand well below Toyota and Honda and VW's own market research tells them that.

I would dare say they are perceived by mainstream buyers as being below Ford, Chevy, Hyundai, and Kia as well and in the bottom feeder group along with Nissan and Mitsubishi due to quality and reliability issues especially after dieselgate.

The Atlas R Line conveys that VW thinks dieselgate has blown over and they can go back to their old ridiculous ways.

The correct Atlas to show would have been a hybrid, not a bling mobile.

The competition is dying of laughter.

Why click on VW posts if you're an uninformed brand hater? The R-Line trim package is just $1,500 on the Passat which is built in the same TN factory. A great price for upgraded wheels and trim bits. VW says the Atlas will be priced competitively unlike the built-in-Europe Touareg and Tiguan.

Totally agree. With such generic styling and VW's tarnished reputation, price and the perception of value are the only attributes that will motivate buyers. Once again, VW needs to get their heads out of the clouds. It's one bad management decision after another.

@Turbo4Turbo I am very well informed. The prices rolled out to dealers show that the Atlas can easily be optionsed to near $50K.

While I almost totally agree with you - Matt - especially on the perception of VW as being ENTRY LEVEL in the USA - which I have often posted before- we do have to take into account the fact that they have not had the chance to change much due to the time needed for pre-production. ADD in that VW is sold around the world - in places where our styling desires are not what they want - and VW has stuck with is solid GERMANIC styling - conservative. Audi and BMW are the same when it comes to that. OPEL is finally starting to turn that corner with the new Insignia. That it will be sold in the USA as a Buick and in Australia as a Holden - means it has to offer more upscale styling - even though OPEL is still entry level in Europe.

To clarify: I'm in agreement with MDarringer. NOT Turbo4 whatever.

Lipstick on a pig.

Mdarringer you once again prove how incompetent you are... We dont even have pricing on the Atlas yet and you are already bashing it as well as bashing VW's entry into the massive SUV market which the Atlas will position itself well in as having some of the best features in its class(innovative seating and room) You cant bash a product that has no price tag for price. This is an excellent step forward for VW and will launch them back into the US market which you will see will be buying more VW products as time goes on

@Turbo4Turbo, you don't have a clue as to how the industry works.

Manufacturers put projected prices out to dealers WAY before the public sees them.

The is because the dealer has the capacity to tailor the allotment of a given vehicle to suit the market. Thus, if you're a VW dealer in Pasadena, you tend to order fully optioned models. If you're a VW dealer in a market where VW is not strong, you order differently.

The projected invoice of different trim levels versus the "Monroney" list gives a dealer an idea as to how much wiggle room there may be. From there they tailor what they ask for.

The fiscal management of a dealer is not just waiting to see what happens, but tailoring your incoming allotment based on the trends in your market, attempting to sell "well", and to take trade-in "poorly".

Dealers may not publish the suggested MSRPs ahead of the company publishing them. If you do, that's a great way to jeopardize a franchise as would be publicizing the confidential incentives that all manufacturers do with dealers.

If you know someone well that works in the marketing area, s/he may tell you information off the record.

Moreover, with mainstream crossovers like the Explorer, Traverse, Highlander, and Pilot having no problem sailing over $50K, the Atlas will foolishly do likewise instead of trying to buy market share.

@mdarringer please post the pricing the dealers have received. Thanks!

Are you that stupid, really? Would you also like the actual invoices of every car at all of our dealerships too?

@mdarringer So you just lied when you said: "I am very well informed. The prices rolled out to dealers show that the Atlas can easily be optionsed to near $50K"? A simple list of MSRPs for each trim level was what you implied that you had access to when you straight up lied.

see above dumbass

I think the Atlas is going to be surprise 'hit'.

It's customers will be coastal and suburban, weighted Northeast.

From three blocks - (a) The people who really want a GL450 or an XC90 but can't really afford it; (b) People moving up from a Subaru Outback; (c) GTI customers (almost as loyal as the diesel customers).

The real crime here is that VW spoiled so many opportunities with dieselgate - a 3.0L TDI diesel would have been a sweet and popular powertrain in this model.

I think VW is going to do very well with the Atlas.

The Atlas is basically a 'packaging' copy of the MB GL450

@Mdarringer...each one of your posts shows me how little you really know and that you are incapable of understanding the business. This R line is obviously not intended to be a volume seller...its a high margin upsell for someone who walks into the dealer looking at a lower trim and is upsold. The price may cross $50K and that is not too far off what a Pilot would sticker at if you add all the trim kit pieces and different wheels.

VW is most definitely more premium to the Asian and American mainstream brands, their products generally have better interior build quality, better driving dynamics and a "solid" german feel. Their quality is middle of the pack according to CR and slightly lower than that according to JD power.

It looks like VW has done a very good job with the packaging of this vehicle...this and the Pilot have the most usable space in the category. As the above poster said...this vehicle will do very well with people who want something nicer than a pilot/highlander but can't swing the luxury makes. The only thing that will sink the Atlas is if Lexus prices its upcoming 3 row very aggressively and it ends up being within shooting range of the Atlas price.

The point is that is sends the wrong message. VW needs to do contrition rather than bravado.

@ Trboaccord, @ Malba2367, @Turbo4Turbo ==> Lets clarify 1 thing for sure "MDarringer" is the most ignorant, know-it-all CLOWN on this blog. I stopped responding to some of his, unsupported crap, want-to-be auto enthusiast stupidity. He has 10-15% of the information and acts like he knows 100%. He needs to continue selling his Ford Pinto's.

@Trboaccord YOU ARE CORRECT. As I have noted in my past post, I have family who work for Audi/VW at their Auburn Hill, Michigan corporate offices; also have immediately family who worked on the line building Fords (Warren, Michigan) factory and other immediately family worked for Chrysler - so in a nut shell the majority of family has worked in some capacity for a few of the auto makers for white collar/blue collar jobs.

This is one major reason I get access to upcoming models (release dates, early car designs, etc), discounts through A plans or Z plan from Fords, Audi/VW family plan discounts (which I usually buy an Audi now),

HE knows nothing about these internal company's process/function of what corporate does. I usually deal directly with GM or manager since we don't have to haggle over pricing. Example: Audi family members' plans are 10% below MRSP, plus any incentives that may be going on in the market at that time. That MSRP is ALREADY set by VW/Audi. As a matter of fact, I can give that VIN# to my sister (who has access), she can confirm in corporate Audi what that "invoice" price is and MRSP. The align accordingly. It matches the dealer's sheet they get. This has to be accurate because numerous dealers use what is called "Floor plan financing". Meaning - (say) Wells Fargo is a local bank in your area, they MIGHT be financing a portion of the dealership's "assets" - seeing it could be millions of dollars the dealership would be putting forth for those cars.

My wife worked at Wachovia Bank (retired - now Wells Fargo) as the manager of the Floor Plan Financing for several dealerships in this area (i.e. Modern, Flow, Hendrick Motors, etc)

So in a nutshell, he doesn't know anything; I'm fortunate enough to get a lot of auto information first hand, understand the financing process of a dealership's floor plan and understand MSRP pricing, employee discounts given to employees vs customers off the street.

I chuckle when he makes uninformed post. You are accurate, though there is a tad more detail in the process.

Correct, Mattie is a total uninformed idiot. He has no family or friends, and spends all of his time on here replying to every post with brain dead comments. When someone else posts something he disagrees with he attacks and bullies, when no one responds, the mental illness kicks in, and he starts responding to his own posts. He's a wacko that everyone on here hates and pays no attention to. His real job is a used Hyundai car salesman and con man that knows nothing of the car industry.

Mdarringer "our dealerships" LMAO you dont have a clue...We recieve pricing from VW and specs the same time its released to the general public so dont act like you know some secret info or that the VW dealers know and arent releasing it..

No you don't. Dealers are able to configure their incoming allotment.