2026 Volkswagen Atlas Leaks Early, Looks Like An Ugly Volvo

The Chinese Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) has become synonymous with vehicle designs leaking early, but while many of those are China-only versions, today you’re looking at an SUV that is expected to come to the USA late next year as the next-generation Volkswagen Atlas. Technically, this is the next-gen VW Teramont Pro, but the Teramont is simply the name applied to the midsize SUV outside of the US, Canada, and Chile.

The current generation Atlas/Teramont has been in production since 2017, which means it’s already aging and approaching the timeframe when a second generation might be introduced. If reports from China are to be believed, the Teramont Pro pictured here will launch in China for the 2025 model year, but will only arrive stateside late next year as a 2026 model.

Design: Volvo XC90 Meets VW Atlas

Shown in two trims, the design is likely to draw conflicting opinions. The current Atlas is arguably the most dated design in VW’s current arsenal, despite a relatively major update in the last few years. What the new Atlas appears to do is take cues from the current model’s front end but with added inspiration from the front-end designs of contemporary EVs. While design taste is a personal thing, we’re not so sure this front end is all that stylish, although the white car appears to have a more aggressive R-Line styling package with larger front air vents and blacked-out detailing.

The profile view is where things get interesting, as we see a lot of Volvo XC90 in this design. There are squared-off wheel arches (with body-color cladding), flush door handles, and a slab-sided design that has become synonymous with Volvo’s recently updated three-row SUV. The rear end is far less Swedish but unremarkable in its own right, characterized by a full-width panel into which pixel-like LED taillights span.

Technical Specs: Size Matters

While imagery from the Chinese government is limited, we do have access to a few specifications, including exterior dimensions.

Likely still based on the MQB platform, it’s no surprise the wheelbase remains unchanged, but the longer body is likely to appeal to a size-focused market like the US. In every other metric, it’s almost identical, save for the weight. The specs provided by the Chinese MIIT are for an AWD model, but it’s still a couple hundred pounds heavier than a comparable US-spec Atlas.

Another detail that has been published is the engine, a solitary 268-horsepower 2.0-liter turbo four-cylinder. A similar 2.0-liter engine delivering 269 hp and 273 lb-ft of torque is used in the US; the VR6 was dropped for the 2024 model year. The current Teramont in China has an available 2.5-liter V6, but it remains uncertain whether this will carry over to the new model. What we do know is that when it arrives in the US, we can expect more power, as VW executives previously told CarBuzz that the US was in line for extra oomph when the next generation rolled around.

H/T:
Motor1