4 Reasons January is the Best Time to Buy a Volkswagen

Winter in Kansas City can be a mixed bag of snow, freezing rain, icy streets, and subzero temperatures, interspersed by dramatically warm and sunny days. 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 7 Passenger vehicle out there? Here’s 5 reasons we believe the Atlas is the perfect vehicle for Winter-driving in Kansas City: The Atlas was Made in America, for Americans First of all, the Volkswagen Atlas is perfect for Kansas City families 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 in Volkswagen’s Chattanooga, TN plant. “The Atlas is an American-made vehicle,” said Jeff Davis, General Manager and co-Owner at Volkswagen Lee’s Summit. “It was specifically designed for American families and buyers with their needs in mind. It is the size of vehicle our buyers want, the safety features and incredible tech they desire, plus All-Wheel Drive and all-weather tires, and other winter features that our buyers need!” The Atlas Offers Heated Seats, Heated Steering Wheel, and Remote Start A very popular Winter-feature in the Volkswagen Atlas is the Remote Start! When it’s too cold to go outside and start your car, the Volkswagen Atlas has a feature where you just hit a button on your key fob and it will start your car, warming up the seats and engine while the doors are locked so you can stay warm while your car safely heats up. Another feature perfect for Kansas City winter driving is the heated seats and steering wheel. Many models of the Volkswagen Atlas offer heated seats - you can choose from three levels of heat depending on the weather. Further, the higher trim levels of the Volkswagen Atlas offer a heated steering wheel as well! The Atlas Offers a Specific Winter Driving Mode in its 4Motion Engine Technology “One of the most exciting things about the Atlas is 4Motion technology in the AWD trims,” says Matt Ottosen, General Sales Manager for Volkswagen Lee’s Summit. The 4Motion All Wheel Drive system 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 4-wheel drive system and guarantee you not only the safest ride but the smoothest possible too,” says Ottosen. The Atlas Allows You To Stay Connected and Navigate Safely The Volkswagen Atlas at Volkswagen Lee’s Summit offers Apple CarPlay or Android Auto (depending on your phone type), allowing you to use your phone apps without ever 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.” Driver Assistance Technology to Keep You Safe in the Atlas Finally, the Volkswagen Atlas offers a myriad of driver assistance features to keep drivers safe on Winter roads in Kansas City. 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 a parking assistance system and Volkswagen Digital Cockpit, a virtual gauge cluster display which provides light driver assistance, navigation and awareness features in place of the standard gauge cluster. Get The Atlas at Kansas City’s #1 Volkswagen Dealer Volkswagen Lee’s Summit has the largest selection of Atlas vehicles in the Kansas City area! Volkswagen Lee’s Summit is Kansas City’s #1 Volkswagen dealer for volume sales and customer satisfaction since it’s opening in 2014 (Based on VW retail reports 2014-2019+) Come see why more people prefer Volkswagen Lee’s Summit. Visit today just off 470 and Colbern road or visit VWLeesSummit.com.

The myVW App Is About to Get a Welcome Addition in the Technology Department As experienced smartphone users know, the App Store is what provides access to a world of applications, including weather, streaming services, gaming, and much more. With the rollout of App-Connect - more commonly known as Apple CarPlay/Android Auto - it finally affords users the ability to integrate their smartphones with their vehicles. Owners of late model cars and SUVs can access their favorite third-party apps using Apple CarPlay/Android Auto; however, the technology is by no means perfect. First, select third-party apps are not accessible through the App-Connect software. Additionally, some apps have compatibility issues that result in poor display or functionality issues. Fortunately, Volkswagen is rolling out a solution – the in-car VW App Store, which will be featured on select VW vehicles in the near future. Let's get to know a little bit more about this upcoming technology upgrade and what drivers can expect. Afterwards, we’ll review the myVW app and its overall role in VW technology. Elevating from App-Connect to the VW App Store Every application within the VW App Store will be optimized to run on the touchscreen monitor included with Volkswagen vehicles, which means any compatibility issues users previously experienced will be ironed out. The other major pain point that the VW App Store addresses is the guessing game users play when adding apps using the App-Connect software. Since all apps will be available via the VW App Store, the manual addition process can officially be retired. So, what exactly will be included with the VW App Store upon roll-out? CARIAD – the software company overseeing the new app store’s creation – has gone on record stating that the VW App Store will include notable third-party favorites like Spotify, The Weather Channel, Webex, Yelp, and TikTok. However, it’s important to note that apps like TikTok can only be used for consuming content – not creating it. This ensures drivers exercise safe driving practices when behind the wheel. Creating TikTok videos must be done using the mobile version of the app. CARIAD also reports that the new app store will be available across all brands included in the Volkswagen Group of vehicles, starting with Audi in July 2023. The app store will eventually expand to Porsche, Bentley, and, of course, Volkswagen. In keeping with the original app store, the VW App Store will include numerous app categories, including: News Gaming Podcasts Music Weather Video conferencing Parking info EV charging station locations Currently, there has been no formal announcement about the exact Volkswagen models the VW App Store will appear in; however, we can safely estimate that it will be included in the all-electric ID. lineup of VW vehicles. Further, it’s possible that VW will roll out a software upgrade for current vehicles so that they can take advantage of the new technology. It will likely be handled in the same fashion as the VW ID.4’s recent software upgrade. Getting Reacquainted with the myVW App Drivers who purchased their VW vehicles within the past two years have probably noticed that VW Car-Net has transitioned to the myVW App. Although the name has changed, the core concept of the app has remained the same – providing a suite of remote and convenience features to VW owners. The main features of the myVW App include: Last parked location, which is a feature that shows drivers where they last parked on a map. Parkopedia parking assistance®. Remote lock/unlock, start, and cabin climate control. Amazon Alexa sync. Roadside assistance requests. Vehicle service reminders and history. Service appointment scheduling. Five years of access to the myVW App is included with all late model vehicle purchases as part of the Carefree Coverage warranty. Looking for New and Used Volkswagen Vehicles in Kansas City! Visit VW Lee’s Summit Today! Now that you’re officially up to date on what to expect from the VW App Store and the myVW app, your next step is to check out some of our VW vehicles in person by taking a test drive. As the leading Volkswagen dealer in the KC area, VW Lee’s Summit has plenty of new cars and SUVs made to suit any budget and driving style. Ready to finally go electric? We have the award-winning 2023 VW ID.4! How about a sedan with incredible gas mileage? The 2023 VW Jetta is the car for you! VW Lee’s Summit also carries a large variety of used cars and certified pre-owned vehicles that come with a limited warranty. Feel free to check out our specials for more great deals and limited-time offers on Volkswagen vehicles and services. Visit VW Lee’s Summit at 2225 NE Independence Ave, or call (816) 841-7252 for questions. You may also email us using the contact form on our website; a VW team member will get back with you shortly.

How the VW Atlas Cross Sport Compares to Its Upsized Counterpart Another summer is upon us, and you know what that means – it’s time to travel. Whether you’re planning a trip to the Lake of the Ozarks or a day trip to St. Joe to check out Chiefs training camp, you and your family will be spending more quality time in the car together. If you’re rolling with a large crew with sizable summer plans, you’ll need ample seating and interior space, enough cargo room for your gear, and plenty of infotainment and comfort features to keep your passengers happy. Family road trips can be rough if you don’t have the right vehicle. Fortunately, the 2023 Volkswagen Atlas for sale is one of the best options for big families with demanding storage needs. Its slightly smaller counterpart – the VW Atlas Cross Sport – is leaner in build while delivering the same performance metrics as its big brother. It can be difficult to differentiate between the two at first glance, which is why we’re going to break down how the VW Atlas and VW Atlas Cross Sport are unique. However, before we dive into that, let’s review the attributes they have in common. Overlapping Stats the VW Atlas and Atlas Cross Sport Share On paper, the VW Atlas and the VW Atlas Cross Sport are practically twins. Both SUVs can be outfitted with either a four-cylinder 2.0L turbo 8-speed engine with Tiptronic or the same engine with 4MOTION® all-wheel drive. Because they’re outfitted with the same engine, that means both iterations of the VW Atlas deliver 266 lb-ft of torque and 276 horsepower. Further, they both can tow up to 5,000 pounds. Regarding the Volkswagen Atlas’ gas mileage, it probably comes as no surprise those stats are also mirrored. Both VW Atlas models provide an estimated 21 miles per gallon in the city and 25 miles per gallon on the highway, and each SUV has a fuel capacity of 18.6 gallons. Moving on to features and infotainment, there’s a lot of consistency between the two. Both the VW Atlas and the VW Atlas Cross Sport are offered in five different trim levels; each trim level has its own distinct set of features and aesthetic upgrades. Drivers will notice IQ.DRIVE, touchscreen media display, and VW Digital Cockpit appear throughout the various trim levels. You’ll be hard pressed to find a feature offered by one Atlas that isn’t offered by the other. Finally, both models of the VW Atlas come with the same new vehicle warranty – Carefree Coverage. It consists of a package of protections and services that helps Atlas owners keep their SUVs in tip-top condition. It also provides limited-time roadside assistance and access to remote features via the myVW app. How Is the VW Atlas Different from the VW Atlas Cross Sport? Although the VW Atlas and Atlas Cross Sport have a lot in common, there are some key things that set them apart. The most noticeable difference pertains to size and seating. The standard VW Atlas is the larger of the two SUVs and features three rows of seating that can hold up to seven passengers. The VW Atlas Cross Sport is slightly scaled down and sportier looking in terms of design and build. It can accommodate up to five passengers within its roomy cabin featuring two-toned seating. Different vehicle sizes means different storage capacities between these two SUVs. The standard VW Atlas offers up to 96.8 cubic feet of storage while the VW Atlas Cross Sport offers 77.8 cubic feet. In both models, the rear seats must be folded down for max storage. Finally, there’s a slight price difference between both Atlas models. The standard Atlas has a starting MSRP of $35,150 while the Atlas Cross Sport clocks in at $34,460. No matter which trim level you’re comparing, the Atlas Cross Sport always has a slightly smaller price tag. Deciding Which Volkswagen Atlas for Sale Is Right for You Choosing between the VW Atlas and VW Atlas Cross Sport is far easier to do in person, especially once you’ve had a chance to test drive them. Some drivers find the behind-the-wheel experience is an effective tiebreaker. The best way to take advantage is by stopping by the VW Lee’s Summit dealership. Once you’ve had a chance to experience both varieties of the VW Atlas, you’ll have a much easier time deciding which one is right for you and your family. As a nice little incentive for our customers, we’re always running great deals on Volkswagen products, services, and VW parts in our specials section. Make sure to check back every month to see what type of deals we’re currently running. Well qualified buyers can usually secure low rates or discounts other dealerships can’t match. You can visit VW Lee’s Summit at 2225 NE Independence Ave. For questions, call us at (816) 841-7252 or email us using the contact form on our website.