The Atlas is the latest SUV from Volkswagen, which serves to woo the American market. It has two engines – an I4 turbo and a 3.6 VR6 – both petrol/gasoline units. The smaller one is aimed to serve as the entry-level version. Still, Volkswagen Atlas tuning by ZIP makes it noticeably more powerful while preserving all the benefits of the downsized displacement.

The Atlas holds several modern, advanced features designed to pamper customers used to high-end luxury SUVs. The engines are paired with a wonderfully smooth 8-speed Tiptronic, a stunning Digital Cockpit, loads of interior space and practicality, and the latest safety features.

Engine options include a 2.0 turbocharged one with 238 hp and 350 Nm of torque. The second is a 3.6 VR6 with 280 hp and 361 Nm of torque. It is obviously intended to be the more desirable option, but the fact that the 2.0 TSI is far more modern and turbocharged gives much room for improvements from Volkswagen Atlas tuning. Moreover, it produces a top torque figure far lower than the V6, making it more usable in everyday driving.

We have recently tested the improvements on a customer’s Atlas, and the results are stunning. Following special requirements from the customer, which limited the tuning scope to ensure significantly lower consumption, we still managed to extract 291 hp and 422 Nm of torque from the 2.0 TSI engine. Had the customer wanted to remove all the power from the engine, we are confident that we could have provided him with more than 300 hp and about 450 Nm of torque.

2.0 TSI Volkswagen Atlas Tuning

The 2.0 TSI in the VW Atlas uses forced induction, enabling us to work our magic on the engine and extract the extra power and torque without any hardware modifications. As a result, you get stock parts, complete safety, and far more power. Perfect.

The improvements start with an increase in turbo pressure. This is a software adjustment that results in increased amounts of air being sent to the engine. If you are familiar with how internal combustion engines work, you will know this also means we need to add more fuel to keep the air/fuel ratio at the stoichiometric level. Doing this provides more power but also smoother engine operation and better combustion.

Going too far with these two steps can be very detrimental to the engine, so our testing and data logging using top-notch equipment play an essential role in 2.0 TSI Volkswagen Atlas tuning.

However, this is not the end of adjustments.

The next step does not add heaps of horsepower but improves the driving feel immensely. It is an advancement in ignition timing, which better uses the newly gained power and makes the car react faster to your pedal push. Combined with the added boost, it makes driving the 2.0 TSI Atlas far more interesting.

It is important to point out that testing plays a significant role in ignition timing tuning. Exceeding safe boundaries and advancing ignition too much can cause serious damage to the engine. Detailed testing, loads of experience and knowledge, the best equipment, and sheer love of the industry allow us to define boundaries clearly, and reach them as close as possible, giving unmatched performance but never exceeding them, ensuring the safety and reliability of your vehicle.

All these adjustments result in the mentioned 291 hp and 422 Nm of torque, which, once again, can go even higher, beyond 300 hp and 450 Nm.

The 2.0 TSI in the stock form falls slightly behind some of its competitors. The 2.3 in the Ford Explorer, for example, has 280 hp. However, after the Volkswagen Atlas tuning performed by our expert engineers from ZIP, it makes the V6 obsolete and makes the 2.3 Explorer fall behind.

We have recently tuned several of the latest Volkswagen vehicles and engines, including the Arteon with the 2.0 TSI that we also easily pushed way beyond the V6 version to a massive 354 hp and 466 Nm of torque or the 1.5 TSI T-Roc whose owner now enjoys 182 hp and 302 Nm.

Aside from Volkswagen, we also tune numerous other vehicles from almost every manufacturer worldwide. So if you are an owner who wants more power, ZIP Tuning is here for you. And if you are a tuner looking for a solid partner at the top level – you will love us.