2018 Volkswagen Atlas Aces IIHS Small Overlap Test

Volkswagen announced that the 2018 Atlas has earned a “Good” rating in the passenger side small overlap test by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). The Atlas was one of just three midsize SUVs to earn an overall “Good” rating of the eight vehicles tested, and one of two vehicles to earn the “Good” rating in each of the six categories examined in the test.

A small overlap crash occurs when just the front corner of the vehicle strikes another vehicle or an object such as a tree or utility pole. IIHS began rating vehicles in driver-side small overlap crashes in 2012. The organization began rating vehicles in the passenger-side test last year.

Atlas offers the Automatic Post-Collision Braking System, which is standard on all models. This system builds on the premise that a collision is rarely a single, instantaneous action, but rather a series of events that follow the initial impact—the most significant of which can cause additional collisions. The Automatic Post-Collision Braking System addresses this by applying the brakes when the airbag system detects a primary collision of sufficient force to initiate airbag deployment, thus helping reduce residual kinetic energy and, in turn, the chance of additional damage.

The Atlas offers Forward Collision Warning and Autonomous Emergency Braking with Pedestrian Monitoring (Front Assist), Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC), Blind Spot Monitor with Rear Traffic Alert, Lane Departure Warning (Lane Assist), front and rear Park Distance Control with Maneuver Braking (ParkPilot), Parking Steering Assistant (Park Assist), High Beam Control (Light Assist) and Overhead View Camera (Area View).