Want a big SUV but don’t need the third row of seats? No problem, say automakers, as they start offering their most accommodating crossovers with just two rows.
Alongside the expanded three-row RX L, Lexus unveiled a two-row version of the big LX at the LA Auto Show last month. Volvo offers a four-seat Excellence version of the XC90, too. And according to the latest report, Volkswagen will be next.
Having enlarged the latest Tiguan to accommodate an extra row of seating, and slotted the new seven-seat Atlas into its expanding crossover lineup, VW is planning to roll out five-seat versions of both.
“We decided the Atlas will get a slightly lower-positioned five-seater, with nice, coupe-ish styling, [but the] same dimensions,” Volkswagen Group of America CEO Hinrich Woebcken told Automotive News.
The Tiguan, however, will “get kind of a little smaller” in its next iteration, ostensibly bridging the gap between the previous model and the new one.
The new models should help Volkswagen further enlarge its crossover portfolio without developing completely new models, while offering buyers a more comprehensive range of choices.
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