Enjoying wintertime in Utah for many means frequent trips up to the ski slopes, taking the family to Midway and Park City, traveling downtown to see Jazz games and go shopping — and this is all on top of carpooling to school and the regular commute to work.

Having the right vehicle is vital to staying safe and confident on the roads this winter. The Volkswagen Atlas has been named the Best Large Utility two years in a row by MotorWeek. Why not drive the best seven-passenger vehicle out there?

Here are five reasons the Atlas is the perfect vehicle for winter driving in Utah:

The Atlas was made in America, for Americans

The Volkswagen Atlas is perfect for Utah winters because it was designed and manufactured with them in mind. Many people may not realize this, but the Volkswagen Atlas (along with the Passat and soon-to-be-released Cross Sport) was designed and manufactured at Volkswagen’s Chattanooga, Tennessee plant.

“The Atlas is an American-made vehicle,” said Jeff Davis, operations director at Volkswagen SouthTowne. “It was specifically designed by Volkswagen for American families. It is the size of vehicle our buyers want, the safety features and incredible tech they desire, plus it has all-wheel drive available, all-weather tires that can handle the snowy roads and mountain driving and many other winter features that our buyers need!”

Atlas offers heated seats, heated steering wheel and remote start

A popular winter-feature in the Volkswagen Atlas at Volkswagen SouthTowne is the Remote Start, which allows you to warm up your car without even going outside! Simply lock the car doors with your key fob and then double click a button and it will start your car, warming up the sears and engine while the doors are locked so you can stay warm while your car safely heats up.

Another feature perfect for Utah winter driving is the heated seats and steering wheel. Many trim levels of the Volkswagen Atlas have heated seats — you can choose from three levels of heat depending on the weather. For drivers with perpetually cold fingers, the higher trim levels of the Volkswagen Atlas offer a heated steering wheel as well!

Atlas offers a specific winter driving mode in its 4Motion engine technology

“One of the biggest differentiators about the Atlas from their competitors is the 4Motion technology in the all-wheel-drive trim levels,” says Josh Osborne, general manager for Volkswagen SouthTowne.

The 4Motion all-wheel-drive system in the Volkswagen Atlas distributes engine power separately to all four wheels depending on road conditions. So if it’s snowy or wet, the Snow Mode 4Motion will allow the engine to shift into higher gears earlier, minimizing slipping and providing as much traction and stability as possible.

The Atlas offers four driving modes: Snow Mode, Off Road, On Road, and Custom. “In our opinion, these extra safety features make the Atlas superior to any other four-wheel-drive system and guarantee you not only the safest ride but the smoothest possible too,” says Osborne.

Driver assistance technology to keep you safe in the Atlas

“The Atlas has become one of our best sellers in large part because of its safety features,” says Osborne. “Once you drive the Atlas and experience all the ways it can keep you safe and alert, it’s easy to see why the Atlas has become such a popular SUV in Utah and has won so many awards.”

The Volkswagen Atlas offers a myriad of driver assistance features to keep drivers safe on Winter roads in Utah. The SE models feature a blind-spot monitoring system that lets you know when someone is in your blind-spot! The SE with technology trim features adaptive cruise control — slowing the car down when someone is too close to you, Lane Assist, which keeps you in your lane, and Front Assist, which offers automatic emergency braking in case of a hazard in the road or accident.

For drivers wanting even more safety technology, the 2019 Volkswagen Atlas SEL Premium comes equipped with Park Assist, a parking assistance system that parallel parks for you! It also features Volkswagen Digital Cockpit, a virtual gauge cluster display that provides light driver assistance, navigation and awareness features in place of the standard gauge cluster.

The Atlas allows you to stay connected and navigate safely

Finally, another incredible feature that makes the Volkswagen Atlas the perfect car for Winter is the App-Connect. The Volkswagen Atlas at Volkswagen SouthTowne offers Apple CarPlay or Android Auto (depending on your phone type), allowing you to use your phone apps without taking your eyes off the road.

“Our customers love this feature,” says Davis. “With all of our Volkswagen vehicles, you can navigate using Waze, Google Maps or Maps, listen to your favorite Podcasts, Pandora, Spotify, or music on your phone, plus voice text and call without ever touching your phone. Our Volkswagen models make it easy to stay connected with both your hands still on the wheel at all times.”

In fact the Atlas was named one of Ward’s 10 Best User Experiences for Smart, Safe, Connected Vehicles. “Atlas was built specifically with the American consumer in mind,” said Hendrik Muth, senior vice president, product marketing and strategy. “It offers a host of available technology and driver assistance features designed to make people’s lives easier. We’re very encouraged to be recognized with the Wards 10 Best UX award — it means we’re getting it right.”

All Atlas models are equipped with the MIB II infotainment system, which not only creates the foundation for the next generation of Volkswagen’s Car-Net® connected vehicle services platform, but also offers one of the most comprehensive suites of connected vehicle services and features available in the automotive industry today. Capacitive touchscreens offer SD card and USB multimedia interfaces, as well as Bluetooth® technology for compatible devices. Atlas SEL Premium presents drivers with a 12.3-inch fully-digital instrument cluster with the advanced Volkswagen Digital Cockpit system.

Volkswagen is committed to driving the development of more connected and intelligent vehicles, and the VW Car-Net® connectivity system is a major element in achieving that goal. Features available through VW Car-Net are divided into three key areas: “App-Connect,” “Security & Service,” and “Guide & Inform.”

Get the Atlas at Utah’s high-volume Volkswagen dealer

Volkswagen SouthTowne has the largest selection of Atlas vehicles in Utah and is Utah’s #1 Volkswagen dealer for volume sales and customer satisfaction, based on Volkswagen retail reports from 2010-2017 and 2019. Visit today just off the 106th south exit on Interstate 15. Or visit vwsouthtowne.com

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