VW reportedly chooses the name Atlas for its new crossover

If that's true, we're pleasantly surprised. After such imaginative but difficult-to-pronounce names like Touareg and Tiguan – literally an amalgamation of Tiger and Iguana – choosing something simple, like Atlas, is a welcome change. We also prefer Atlas to Crossblue, the name of the concept that previewed the production vehicle.

Back in July VW Group of America CEO Hinrich Woebcken said that the brand's CUV would get an "easier to pronounce, American-style name," and Atlas would certainly qualify. And, as befitting a vehicle designed specifically for the American market, the Atlas name may only be used here in the United States.

We got to spend a few precious minutes behind the wheel of the three-row 'ute a little while ago, and we walked away feeling that the vehicle could be exactly the success that VW badly needs in the wake of its TDI diesel emissions scandal. But at the time, the vehicle hadn't yet been named and we had to call it "SUV Prototype," which, while perfectly descriptive, doesn't exactly roll off the tongue.

A Volkswagen spokesperson declined to confirm the Atlas name, saying that the company doesn't comment on media speculation.