Here Are The Likely Engines For The 2018 Volkswagen Atlas SUV (No, There's No Diesel)

We just got an email from an anonymous tipster who works for a Volkswagen dealership that included super duper top-secret, highly classified information about the 2018 Volkswagen Atlas's engine options, options that—after spending hours decrypting the complicated security code using my own personal Enigma machine—I can show you now.

Okay, so there was no secret code, it was just an email with this picture attached, seemingly showing some sort of dealership software with the VW Atlas's apparent engine options listed:

Looks like there's just a 3.6-liter engine and a 2.0-liter turbo inline-four.

That 3.6-liter is likely the VR6 engine found in the current Passat and Touareg, and the 2.0-liter turbo is possibly a variant of the EA888 found all over Volkswagen and Audi's lineup from the VW GTI and Tiguan to the Audi A4 and Q5.

There's no mention of a diesel option, which is a big deal because when this SUV launched as a concept in 2013 (then called the CrossBlue), VW made a big deal of the diesel hybrid drivetrain, which made a combined 305 horsepower and 516 lb-ft of torque, and offered an estimated 37 highway miles per gallon.

But that we pre-Dieselgate, so this isn't really a surprise.

If you're sad about the lack of torquey oil-burning engines in the next mid-size Volkswagen SUV, here's VW's new Atlas video to cheer you up. Warning: it includes Microbus off-road footage, so prepare your mind: