2018 VW Atlas Gallery

Volkswagen may be late to the 7-seater SUV, but the 2018 Atlas proves the adage of "better later than never." Slotting in-between the Tiguan and Toureg in price, but looking likely to replace the poorly-selling latter in the North American market at least, the Atlas has some big rivals in its sights. Top of the tree, of course, is Ford's Explorer.

So, the Atlas gets not only a second-row that slides forward and back by 7.7 inches, but a third-row that's legitimately usable by adults. Easy-tip second-row seats can be opened with a single hand, even if there's a child's car seat installed. That leaves a surprisingly straightforward path to the back, which even regular adults shouldn't feel too annoyed at having to occupy.

Up front, there's a V6 engine at launch and, later in the fall, a 4-cylinder borrowed from the Golf GTI. An 8-speed transmission is standard; FWD and AWD are options, though you can only have the latter with the V6. On-road manners are surprisingly car-like, with the Atlas belying its SUV ambitions and riding flat, smooth, and impressively quiet.