Not Just Looking at the Scenery: We Played ATS Road Trip – and Already Delivered Courier Packages by Car

At Gamescom on August 26, 2026, we had the opportunity to try Road Trip for American Truck Simulator in addition to the upcoming Coaches DLC for Euro Truck Simulator 2. We were not sitting in front of a short and strictly predefined trade-show demo. We were free to choose which part of the new gameplay area we wanted to explore.

That is important when putting our impressions into context. We did not merely complete a prepared ideal route. Instead, we were able to look specifically at how a car handles, how Road Trip is connected to the existing ATS economy and what gameplay purpose passenger cars have beyond a relaxed sightseeing drive.

One caveat applies from the outset: we played an unfinished version. SCS Software still describes Road Trip as a work in progress and says it continues to refine areas including handling and vehicle sounds. Our impressions therefore describe the Gamescom build and are not a final review.

Road Trip Is Unlocked Through the Car Packs

Road Trip is not simply one vehicle, nor is it a game completely separate from American Truck Simulator. The new gameplay area is unlocked as soon as we own at least one of the announced Car Packs.

SCS Software has presented two packs so far. The Ford Car Pack contains a 1967 Ford Mustang Fastback, a 2023 Ford F-150, a 2023 Ford Bronco and the Ford Crown Victoria produced from 1998 to 2012. The RAM & Dodge Car Pack includes the 2025 RAM 1500, a 1970 Dodge Charger, a 1996 Dodge Viper and a 2023 Dodge Challenger.

A specific release date and prices for the packs have not yet been announced. The key point, however, is that buying one of these packs gives us more than its cars: it also provides access to the Road Trip features.

Car Mode and Truck Mode Remain Connected

In the Gamescom build, we could switch between a Car Mode and a Truck Mode. This creates a recognizable separation between the two vehicle types, but it does not force us to start all over again in a car.

The money is shared. Players who continue to earn their initial income with a truck can later use it to buy a car. Conversely, the dollars earned in a car can benefit the same company. The vehicle types do not compete for parking spaces either: a purchased car does not take a truck's place in the garage.

For us, this is one of the most important design decisions in the entire project. It prevents Road Trip from becoming an isolated side mode that players forget after a few test drives. Instead, the cars are integrated into the career we have already built. The trucking company we may have developed over many years retains its value even when we leave the trailer behind for a while.

The Courier Jobs Were the Biggest Surprise

Before playing, the obvious assumption was that the cars would let us travel through the familiar world, visit landmarks and take photographs. All of that is indeed part of Road Trip. The new Atlas leads to Tourist Boards, viewpoints, photo opportunities and other places of interest. Completing a region can also earn postcards for the dashboard.

During our hands-on, however, another feature surprised us more. Passenger cars can accept small courier jobs. This means the vehicles are not used exclusively for exploration; they can earn money for the company themselves.

After accepting and loading a shipment, a package was even visibly placed on the passenger seat of our vehicle. It is only a small detail, but it makes the job more tangible. We are not simply transporting an invisible data point from A to B. The interior shows why we are on the road.

These journeys will not replace complex heavy-haul jobs, of course, and they probably are not intended to do so. What matters is the change of perspective: Road Trip gives us a reason to use familiar roads again with a different vehicle and at a different pace. For players with hundreds of hours in ATS, this could be more important than the novelty of driving a Mustang or Viper for the first time.

It Did Not Feel Like a Shortened Truck

There was another major question about the handling before the event: is SCS merely putting a smaller vehicle on top of the familiar truck physics, or does a car genuinely feel different?

Our first impression is positive. The cars did not feel like shortened trucks. Their responses, acceleration and overall feeling behind the wheel were noticeably more appropriate for a passenger car. The vehicle sounds in the build we played already felt credible as well and helped make the change from truck to car noticeable in more than just the visuals.

This does not mean the physics can already be assessed conclusively. SCS will continue working on handling and sounds until release. At the show, however, the essential foundation was there: we genuinely felt as if we were driving a car, not merely a truck without a trailer and with a shorter wheelbase.

The ATS World Suddenly Feels Different From a Car

In the end, the strongest part for us was not a single menu option but the combination of vehicle and landscape. Wide highways, long straights and the different regions of the United States have a different effect from a passenger car than they do from the elevated cab of a truck. Without cargo and a trailer, driving feels freer and more immediate. That gave our hands-on session a distinct American road-trip atmosphere.

At the same time, this is where one of the open questions lies. The map, traffic and many of ATS's systems were originally designed for heavy trucks. Faster and more agile cars may therefore make the generous scale of some roads or the behavior of the AI at higher speeds more noticeable. Whether Road Trip remains engaging after many hours will depend not only on convincing vehicles, but also on varied courier jobs, rewarding discoveries and believable integration into the existing world.

Answering Questions From the Community

Is Road Trip Only Intended for Free Exploration?

No. Exploration is an important part of the project, with the Atlas, Tourist Boards, viewpoints, photo opportunities and collectible postcards. In addition, however, we were able to complete small courier jobs and earn money with a car.

Can You Actually Complete Jobs With the Cars?

Yes. SCS has confirmed small-package contracts, and we were able to try one ourselves at Gamescom. After loading it, the package was visibly placed on the passenger seat.

Do You Need a New Company for Road Trip?

Based on our experience with the Gamescom build, no. Car Mode and Truck Mode can be distinguished as vehicle areas, but they use the same economy. Trucking income can be spent on a car and vice versa.

Does a Car Take Up a Truck's Garage Space?

No. Cars are managed separately from trucks and did not displace a truck from its garage space in the build we played.

How Is Road Trip Unlocked?

Owning at least one Road Trip Car Pack unlocks the new gameplay area. The announced range currently includes the Ford Car Pack and the RAM & Dodge Car Pack.

Do You Have to Be in a Car to Use the Atlas?

No. According to SCS, the Road Trip Atlas is unlocked with one of the Car Packs but can then also be used while driving a truck.

Do the Cars Feel Like Small Trucks?

Not in the version we played. The handling differed enough from the trucks to convey a credible change of vehicle. As this is still an unfinished version, SCS may continue to adjust the physics and tuning before release.

Is There Already a Price or Release Date?

No. Neither a specific release date nor prices have been announced for the two Car Packs.

Our Verdict: Road Trip Needs More Than Attractive Cars – but the Foundation Is There

Trying Road Trip at Gamescom was already a lot of fun. The most positive aspect is that SCS is giving the cars a purpose beyond simply looking at the scenery. We can integrate them into our existing company, earn money with them and experience a smaller, more personal kind of transportation through courier jobs. The package on the passenger seat is almost the perfect symbol for that.

Road Trip should therefore not be judged solely by how realistically a Mustang, Bronco or Charger drives. The more interesting question is whether it creates a lasting second way to play within ATS. To achieve that, the jobs must provide sufficient variety, discoveries must remain motivating and the prices and scope of the Car Packs need to make sense together.

Our initial impression is nevertheless clearly positive. The cars felt distinct, the shared economy prevents the feature from becoming a meaningless side mode and the American landscape gained a new appeal from the passenger-car perspective. If SCS fills this foundation with enough content before release, Road Trip could become much more than a brief trip without a trailer.

What would you do first in Road Trip: accept a courier job or simply drive across the United States without a destination?