If there’s one factor that riles up auto journalists right into a (often) light-hearted argument, it’s speaking about local weather management methods. I’ve been in lots of heated debates about whether or not or not computerized local weather management is nice, what the optimum temperature and fan pace is, and the place the air vents ought to be positioned. Don’t even get me began on the place the local weather controls ought to be and what sort of controls they’re — personally, I don’t thoughts contact controls, they only should be good.
What I personally have a robust feeling about is the place I need the air vents to direct my air stream. As a driver, I often prefer it when each the central vent and the one to the left of the gauges and steering wheel are pointed at my fingers — they’ll get kinda sweaty, particularly when driving shortly — and at my face. Sometimes vents don’t have sufficient air stream or unfold to properly hit each fingers and face, or they’ll’t be angled sufficient to correctly cool the place I need. But the Volkswagen Atlas’ latest 2024 mannequin yr refresh added intelligent air vents that not solely resolve that drawback however present the most effective local weather management vent experiences I’ve had in latest reminiscence.
The 2024 Atlas’ new vent setup isn’t groundbreaking or particular when it comes to engineering or design, however it does present an enormous high quality of life increase. Instead of getting a single vent on every finish of the dashboard like earlier than, the Atlas’ trapezoidal surrounds every home two individually controllable air stream vents stacked on prime of one another which are being fed by the identical duct. This implies that I can have the highest half of the vent pointed a method, and the underside half pointed one other approach. It’s genius!
You can’t individually modify the stream between these two vents — that means in case you have them set to at least one depth, you possibly can’t have the highest half blowing stronger than the underside half — however you possibly can shut off one or each of the vents for those who so want. This setup lets me have air hitting my face and my fingers and my arm. It’s improbable.
The pre-facelift Atlas had a vertically oriented vent on all sides of the central touchscreen, however the 2024 mannequin has a pair of slim vents positioned within the sprint beneath the display screen, they usually don’t get the identical break up design because the vents on the tip, which is a disgrace. And you’re nonetheless caught with VW’s now-outdated infotainment setup, that means the touch-sensitive temperature sliders slightly below the display screen aren’t illuminated, which is de facto infuriating. The remainder of the local weather features are managed by the display screen itself, which I believe is completely positive. I’m the sort of one who sometimes simply units it to computerized and 72 levels anyway.
Curiously, Volkswagen made no point out of the redesigned air vents in its press launch and different supplies when the Atlas facelift was launched final spring, as an alternative specializing in the SUV’s greater screens, properly redesigned dashboard and heart console, and different “more important” options. And it doesn’t seem to be these vents will stick round lengthy, as VW’s different newly designed fashions just like the Euro-only Passat, the ID 7 and ID Buzz have extra modern, slim air vents that may solely be pointed a single course. That’s a disgrace.
Source: jalopnik.com