The Volkswagen Atlas was one of the fastest-selling new vehicles in Chattanooga last month. Along with three other SUVs and a pickup truck, a new survey was conducted that records car sales.

The Ford Bronco Sport SUV topped the city’s most sought-after vehicles list in April, followed by the Toyota Tacoma Pickup, the Kia Soul and Kia Sorento SUVs, and the Chattanooga-built Atlas, according to iSeeCars.com.

Karl Brauer, executive analyst for the automotive research firm, said he was certain that the origins of the Atlas SUV in Chattanooga “made a huge impact”.

“It is a wish to support the local economic and manufacturing base,” he said.

A pair of Volkswagens also outperformed the company’s fastest-selling used cars in Chattanooga last month. According to iSeeCars.com, the Jetta compact sedan and the Tiguan SUV took first and second place respectively.

“We’re seeing a lot of support for the brand in the Chattanooga area,” said Brauer.

But he said no VWs made it into the top 20 quick-selling new or used vehicles nationally in April.

The Chevrolet Corvette was number 1 on this new vehicle list, while the BMW 2 Series topped the used vehicle list according to iSeeCars.com.

The company measures the average number of days it takes for a vehicle to reach a dealership before it is sold.

For example, the Ford Bronco Sport SUV took just 14.1 days to sell in April in Chattanooga, the company reported. The Corvette took just 9.2 days nationwide, while the VW Atlas in Chattanooga took an average of 19.4 days, the survey found.

Brauer said the Atlas met a need Volkswagen had for SUVs in the market.

“It represents what VW knew it had to do,” he said. “It had to jump into the SUV category with both feet.”

VW has followed up the Atlas with a sportier version, the Cross Sport. In addition, the company has just introduced the Taos, which sits under the compact Tiguan.

Brauer cited the large interior space of the Atlas, adding that it was easy to drive and manageable.

“I love Volkswagen’s technical skills,” he said.

Due to the shortage of semiconductor chips, the VW Chattanooga plant will stop assembly in the weeks of June 7-14, the company announced earlier this month. This includes the cessation of production of the Atlas, Atlas Cross Sport and Passat sedans.

The VW Chattanooga store employs more than 4,000 people and is hiring more people to meet demand for its vehicles. VW is also investing $ 800 million in production of the new battery-powered SUV in 2022.

Tom du Plessis, Chairman of the Board of Management of Volkswagen Chattanooga, previously said that in 2021 the plant will likely have its best year yet in terms of volume assembly.

“We have really good demand,” he said. “The current production is very positive.”

Contact Mike Pare at [email protected] Follow him on Twitter @MikePareTFP.