Auto Show Faceoff: 2024 Volkswagen Atlas Vs. 2023 Kia Telluride

The 2023 Chicago Auto Show spawned big news for those who have little spawns of their own. Three-row family SUVs are prominently on display, and the updated 2024 Volkswagen Atlas and all-new 2024 Toyota Grand Highlander debuted at the show.

Related: More Chicago Auto Show Coverage

The 2023 Kia Telluride, however, is one of the best in the three-row class and is the SUV with a target on its back. The updated Atlas is especially intriguing to me because I own a 2021 Atlas, which I bought because of its supreme family-friendliness. The Atlas has been a pragmatic purchase because it’s so big and family-friendly, but it does lack the luxury offered by the Telluride. Has that changed? Let’s take a look at the updated 2024 Atlas and the 2023 Telluride to see how they compare on the auto-show floor.

Interior Quality: Telluride

Top trim levels of three-row crossovers like the Atlas and Telluride punch past $50,000, so you should feel like you’re driving a car as expensive as they are. In our previous comparison test that included a 2019 Atlas and 2020 Telluride, the Telluride easily surpassed the Atlas in overall niceness.

The Telluride’s interior on high-end trim levels (like the SX-Prestige X-Pro we examined on the show floor) is easily luxury-car territory, with high-end materials, generously padded and stitched upholstery, and new-for-2023 digital displays. What’s surprising is that Kia keeps up that level of luxury for rear passengers, even in the second row, which is where most automakers skimp.

Over at Volkswagen, even the priciest Atlases from the 2018-23 model years lacked the rich design and opulent trimmings of the Telluride. For 2024, Volkswagen stepped up. It didn’t just slap some new colors on the dash and call it a day; this is a rethinking of the interior experience. Is it at Telluride levels? Not quite, but the gap is significantly smaller with the 2024 update.

At eye-level, the Atlas’ new elements are near-equal to the Telluride with a simulated leather soft-touch dashboard and center console, as well as new simulated wood design elements that stretch the width of the dashboard for a high-quality feel. Above and below these areas, however, the upholstery, textures and plastic aren’t significantly improved from the outgoing Atlas, and it’s those areas where the Telluride makes up its advantage.

What I appreciate about the Atlas, however, is that its 2024 update isn’t just an exercise in aesthetics; the SUV’s family-friendly approach remains alive and well with improvements to usability, including a new gear selector that doesn’t block access to the storage cubby in front of it and a new storage area under the center console.

Multimedia Controls: Telluride

The Telluride’s multimedia and control system is no-nonsense and easy-to-use with physical buttons instead of touch-sensitive ones. For 2023, the Telluride includes a 12.3-inch touchscreen that’s significantly larger than previous years, and an available digital instrument panel ups the user-friendliness and techy feel. The use of physical controls and buttons also provides a heightened sense of richness with these components featuring interesting textures and designs.

When I learned a new Atlas was coming, my wish for it was, “Please don’t give it the ID.4’s controls. Please don’t give it the ID.4’s controls.” Well, VW gave it the ID.4’s touch-sensitive controls and its haptic-feedback steering wheel. In our experience, touch-sensitive controls often suffer from inconsistent and unintended activation, and when important controls are relegated to the touchscreen, they risk being locked out when the screen freezes. We’ll have to live with the system when we review the 2024 Atlas to see if it improves on our past experiences.

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Second-Row Comfort: Atlas

The Atlas has one of the most comfortable interiors in the mid-size three-row SUV class with highly versatile seating and cargo configurations. And that hasn’t changed. The Atlas continues to impress with a cavernous second row. One of the standout features is tilt-forward seats for easier third-row access. It will even do this with some car-seat installations, which is a big advantage for families with kids in car seats when you also need access to the third row.

Third-Row Comfort: Atlas

The Atlas also gets the advantage in third-row comfort with its ease of access thanks to its tilt-forward second row and good room for adults. The Atlas only has seating for two passengers back here, but that’s really how it should be. The Telluride’s three-passenger third row is really in name only because it’s too narrow to realistically fit three people, even smaller individuals. The middle seat is also slightly raised, which impacts available headroom.

Cargo: Atlas

You may have guessed it by now, but “the Atlas is big” theme continues for the Atlas’ cargo area. Its space behind the third row is especially noteworthy, as it’s big enough to easily swallow real cargo when the third row is in use. One nod goes to the Telluride for the electronic second-row seat releases in the cargo area that fold the second row at the touch of a button. It’s a nice convenience feature when you need to use the Telluride’s maximum cargo space with second and third rows folded.

More Questions Need to Be Answered

The 2024 Atlas steps up with an interior that’s more comparable to the Telluride, as well as functional changes that will continue to make the Atlas one of the most family-friendly SUVs available. Unfortunately, along with the new niceness comes a big question mark around controls and usability.

What we also don’t know is how the Atlas will be priced, which is pretty much the most important piece of the puzzle. Volkswagen added many new standard features, as well as newly optional features and an upgraded turbocharged four-cylinder engine (now the only engine offered with the discontinuation of the V-6), and we wouldn’t be surprised to see a pricing bump. We won’t know for sure, however, until summer 2023 when more details will be available.

More From Cars.com:

• 2024 Volkswagen Atlas, Atlas Cross Sport Elevate Interiors, Drop V-6
• What’s New for the 2023 Volkswagen Atlas?
• I Took My Own Advice and Bought a 2021 Volkswagen Atlas
• Which SUVs, Minivans and Sedans Have the Most Cargo Space?
• 2023 Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport Carries Over With New $35,755 Starting Price

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