Volkswagen decided it can not abandon the US market, even if its reputation was seriously shaken by the Dieselgate scandal. The German manufacturer introduced the Atlas, a new SUV that was supposed to attract a new segment of US buyers.

The image of the new SUV was improved recently, when the seven-passenger 2018 Volkswagen Atlas, equipped with available Forward Collision Warning and Autonomous Emergency Braking (Front Assist), has earned a 2017 TOP SAFETY PICK award by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS).

The award is issued to vehicles that have earned “Good” ratings in IIHS crash tests evaluated in five categories: frontal impact moderate overlap; frontal impact small overlap; side impact; roof strength; and head restraints. It must also offer an autonomous emergency braking system (AEB) that earns at least an advanced rating for front crash prevention. The 2018 Atlas earned a “Superior” rating on the AEB test.  

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The Atlas is the only vehicle in its class to offer the Automatic Post-Collision Braking System, which is standard across all trims. 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. 

Other driver assist systems available in the Atlas include Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC); Blind Spot Monitor with Rear Traffic Alert, Lane Departure Warning (Lane Assist), front and rear Park Distance Control (ParkPilot), Parking Steering Assistant (Park Assist); High Beam Control (Light Assist) and Overhead View Camera (Area View).