More than one year ago, Volkswagen Group of America filed a trademark for the name "Peak Edition." The name pays homage to the ID.R electric racecar, which debuted back in 2018. We hoped some of the ID.R's awesome electric tech might make it into a production Peak Edition car, but a pair of new trademarks from VW points to more mainstream models.
On July 22, 2021, VW filed two trademark applications with the USPTO for "Atlas Peak Edition" and "Taos Peak Edition." Both registrations are "intended to cover the categories of automobiles and structural parts therefor; Metal parts for vehicles, namely, automotive exterior and interior metal decorative and protective trim; Plastic parts for vehicles, namely, automotive exterior and interior plastic extruded decorative and protective trim."
These trademarks don't leave much to the imagination, as these two special edition models will likely add minor visual changes over the stock 2021 Volkswagen Atlas and 2021 Volkswagen Taos. As the descriptions point out, these changes will likely be limited to a few metal and plastic accents on the interior and exterior. We'd like to see VW pay homage to the ID.R with a unique livery or massive rear wing, but those elements seem highly unlikely for the Atlas and Taos SUVs. VW recently revealed the Atlas-based Golf R-powered Sport GT Concept, though we doubt any elements from this car will carry over to the Peak Edition.
Instead, we expect the Peak Edition models to be similar to the Atlas Basecamp styling package, adding new wheels and a few different body panels for a more rugged look. At the very least, VW could add a special color for the two Peak Edition models. The Taos arrived as a 2022 model year vehicle, while the Atlas is still only available as a 2021 model. We expect VW to announce both Peak Edition models when the 2022 Atlas arrives.