2024 Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport Steps It Up A Notch

In an effort to move toward a more sophisticated, premium SUV, the three-row Volkswagen Atlas and the two-row Atlas Cross Sport get an update for 2024. It’s mainly focused on the interior and powertrain, considering Volkswagen’s VR6 engine is gone. Both Atlas models get a new 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine with 269 horsepower and 273 lb-ft of torque to the table – a little less horsepower but more torque than the outgoing VR6, but a significant bump over the old four-pot.

Our major criticisms of the older models were the blandness of the interior, considering these models had a starting price over $35,000, and less-than-ideal fuel economy for a family crossover; the VR6 engine wasn’t great in the Atlas. These complaints were big mark-downs on a good-looking, spacious crossover with a lovely ride, so we were excited to get hold of the 2024 Atlas Crossover Sport to check out the improvements.

Style: Like Muscles In A Suite

Nothing major has changed on the outside, and the 2024 Atlas and Atlas Cross Sport still look like the same cars, with a few subtle updates. The looks are chiseled and purposeful with a wide grille flanked by LED headlights and DRLs on all trims; beyond the base trim, including the Premium R-Line version we were sent for the week, a full-length light bar appears over the grille with an illuminated VW logo glowing up in the center of the grille. To us, the lit up VW badge is on the tasteless side for a car that is otherwise elegantly put together, but opinions among people we’ve asked vary.

Both versions of the Atlas come with new front and rear facias, and the difference between the two in appearance is that the Atlas Sport is five inches shorter and has a tapered roofline at the back to give it sleeker appearance. Our SEL Premium R-Line tester came with 21-inch wheels, while 18-inch alloys are standard.

Interior: Much More Like It

Just peeking inside the 2024 Atlas Cross Sport led to a sigh of relief. It still exudes that distinctive Volkswagen style, but is as upscale as the price and competition demands now. There are higher quality materials than before, including a standard faux-leather trimmed dashboard.

Standard features now include adjustable color ambient lighting, heated and ventilated front seats, and a heated steering wheel; heated rear seats are available higher up in the range. Our tester came with diamond-stitched perforated Vienna leather seats as well as other sporty R-Line interior touches like stainless steel pedal caps. Disappointingly, there was only dual-zone climate control despite the heated rear seats – with a price tag of $51,880 before options, we would expect tri-zone climate control.

Under The Hood: A Shared Distribution Of Power

With the VR6 option gone and the turbo-four making 269 hp and 273 lb-ft of torque throughout the trim levels, the lower trims become more compelling as the previous four-cylinder wasn’t a great performer for a car this size. We won’t be missing the VR6 as the new turbocharged four feels livelier due to more torque available in the lower levels of the RPM range. All-wheel-drive is optional; our tester came with Volkswagen’s excellent 4Motion system.

Fuel economy isn’t improved across all cycles, but on the highway you should save a few bucks. Here’s a visual comparison of how the 2024 models stack up with the 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine:

All-wheel-drive models drop even lower, not doing much better than your average V8 truck – although the Atlas trims run on unleaded gas, not premium. Surprisingly, and with a good balance of freeway driving during our week with the Cross Sport 4Motion, we saw a return of 21.1 mpg.

Infotainment: The Achilles Heel

It seems every automaker has to learn the hard way that getting rid of physical buttons and dials for things like audio volume, fan speed, and temperature control, isn’t a good idea. Volkswagen’s mistake is touch sliders which are fiddly enough on their own, but they also don’t light up at night, forcing you to use the touch capacitive climate button, and then the controls on the 12-inch infotainment screen. The user interface through that screen is then a confusing mess of menus and sub-menus, but it is offset by the screen being configurable to keep the things you change a lot at hand. The voice control system is quite good but not perfect – you do need the screen. The system is far from unusable, but we should be beyond trying to force out dials and buttons and there shouldn’t be persistent annoyances in an infotainment system in 2024. The automaker is bringing a fix in 2025, however.

The good news is that wireless charging, Apple Carplay, and Android Auto are standard and there are six USB ports available for charging. For connectivity, there’s a 4G LTE Wi-Fi hotspot included.

On The Road: Cruiser, Not A Bruiser

Despite the Sport part of the name, the Atlas Cross Sport isn’t sporty, and we feel Volkswagen does the two-row Atlas a disservice by giving it that name. This needs to be made clear: The Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport is a comfortable and well-behaved cruiser on the road – but it is not sporty.

The engine is more energetic than before, but others in class have more get up and go, and there’s little excitement in the way it drives. However, it shines with its comfortable suspension and steady road manners. It’s a pleasure to drive, and a pleasure to be a passenger in. As a commuter, a carpool machine, and a family hauler, the Atlas Sport is great if you only ever need two rows of seats.

In Conclusion: Should Be Best In Class

The Atlas Cross Sport has the recipe to become the best mid-size crossover in class, and not having the most energetic engine isn’t a problem. Its job isn’t to race from traffic light to traffic light, it’s simply there to get up to speed as smoothly as possible. The interior and cargo space is generous and useful, the ride is excellent, and it’s effortless to drive. It just comes unstuck with Volkswagen trying to be too clever and appearing sophisticated with the interior controls. It’s worth knowing that the 2024 ID.4 is on the way, and its refresh fixes many of the issues with its system. Volkswagen’s smartest move would be to do the same with the Atlas as quickly as possible.

Pricing starts at $36,985 for 2024. If you’re thinking about one now, we recommend test-driving an Atlas Cross Sport, then spend a little time working out if the infotainment works for you.