Which Cars Will Shine in 2017 ?

Volkswagen Atlas
For years we’ve been talking about it, and now it’s finally here: the brain trust at Wolfsburg has decided to produce an SUV with three rows of seats for our market. The Touareg from VW has a lot going for it and stands out nicely in its segment, but the trend in the market is towards three-row vehicles, even if that third row is generally appropriate only for young children.

Which means better late than never for the Atlas. Incidentally, the manufacturer has announced the unveiling of a number of like-minded vehicles that will go far in ensuring its hold on this branch of the automotive market. The Atlas will be assembled in five variations and with two possible engine set-ups. The base motor will be a 2.0L 4-cylinder, and the trusted 3.6L VR-6 will also be offered. While there’s no guarantee this model will earn the love of masses of consumers, it will certainly pique the curiosity of folks who appreciate VW-branded vehicles.

Remain to be seen
It’s no picnic determining which dozen models will most stand out in their category in some fashion or another. You’ll have noticed that I did not focus entirely on spectacular or super-sporty vehicles, because those are not necessarily the ones that most interest the average consumer or most influence the development of future models. My selection is based on the influence factor in each category, and on models that will at the very least draw headlines or interest large swaths of consumers. We’ll await the end of 2017 to see if any of my predictions prove accurate.