Volkswagen picked a rather unusual time and place to introduce a fairly important new product they have come up with for the America market. The product in question is the Volkswagen Atlas 7-seat family SUV, and they took to Santa Monica Pier at the end of historic Route 66 to unveil it.

Pitched as the perfect SUV for the modern American family, Volkswagen Atlas is based on the famous modular transverse matrix (MQB) and will be built at the car maker’s Chattanooga (Tennessee) plant. It is an exclusive product for the North American market for now, but VW wants to also take it to the Middle East and Russia by the end of 2017.

As for the specs and details, the Atlas certainly looks very Volkswagen-y, what with the signature front grille and the iconic LED headlights and LED Daytime Running Lights that make it look like a large, jacked-up Passat, and a neat and orderly interior featuring an innovative folding seat solution and active info display. The car’s also well-appointed with standard App-Connect technologies such as AppleCar, Android Auto and MirrorLink, a Fender Premium Audio System, Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC); Forward Collision Warning and Autonomous Emergency Braking (Front Assist); Blind Spot Monitor with Rear Traffic Alert; Lane Departure Warning (Lane Assist), and Parking Steering Assistant (Park Assist).

Engine-wise, the 2017 Volkswagen Atlas 7-seater launches with two powertrains, including a 2.0- liter four-cylinder TSI with 238 PS and a 3.6-liter VR6 engine with 280 PS. An eight-speed transmission is standard, but 4Motion all- wheel-drive is optional only on the VR6 model.