Once upon a time, Volkswagen urged Americans to eschew their love of large land yachts and “think small.” How times have changed. A decade ago, Volkswagen decided to craft a large sport-utility vehicle with American tastes in mind, and began building the Atlas in its plant in Chattanooga, TN, with the slightly smaller Atlas Cross Sport coming three years out of the same plant. Today, Team Gillman Volkswagen of Kingwood and the rest of the Volkswagen family celebrate the production of the one-millionth model of the Atlas family, a Mountain Lake Blue Metallic Atlas SEL, that rolled out of the Chattanooga assembly plant on April 21st, 2026.
The Atlas was designed from scratch with the needs of American families in mind. The Atlas was designed to take everyone and everything they need on both long road trips and daily commutes, thanks to its spacious three-row cabin, versatile cargo options, and comfort-oriented features.
With more than 100,000 examples sold in 2025 alone, it’s not surprising to learn the Atlas lineup ranks among the manufacturer's top sellers in the U.S. Nearly one in three Volkswagen vehicles sold in the U.S. is either an Atlas or an Atlas Cross Sport, with approximately 74% being the three-row Atlas and 26% the Atlas Cross Sport. Despite its American-first focus, Atlas models are also sold in other global markets, yet every single example is built in Chattanooga and exported abroad.
“Producing one million Atlas vehicles is a milestone our entire team shares. It reflects years of passion and a commitment to quality,” said Henning Habicht, head of Volkswagen Chattanooga operations. “It also speaks to the trust families place in Atlas and our focus on building vehicles that fit their lives.”
The Atlas received its second significant update in 2024, but the upcoming 2027 Atlas represents the first complete redesign since the model’s original debut. First revealed at the 2026 New York International Auto show, the new 2027 Atlas features all-new exterior styling and proportions, as well as a completely new interior with some breakthrough lighting treatments. Fear not, Atlas Cross Sport enthusiasts – the sportier two-row Atlas variant will receive a similar overhaul by the A new Atlas Cross Sport will follow.
That said, today’s Atlas and Atlas Cross Sport are still incredibly stylish, sophisticated, well-appointed sport-utility vehicles. We’ll need to make room for the all-new models in the months to come, so this may the best time to visit Team Gillman Volkswagen of Kingwood to check out the not-exactly-small Volkswagen that has made over a million buyers happy in the past decade.