Anthony on Autos: 2024 Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport 2.0T SEL R-Line

by   Anthony Fongaro - photos by VW - 10/01/2023

I’ve said this many times, but I don’t like the “SUV coupe” trend. I don’t think they look as sleek as others do and there’s always a compromise. Sometimes, these SUVs will trade trunk space or headroom for space. Other Times, they will omit a third row. What about the 2024 Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport? Is it like other SUV coupes on the market? Is the name stupid? It has almost all the qualities of the updated Volkswagen Atlas so surely it should be competitive, right? I’ll let you know at the end but first, let’s look at that “SUV coupe” body.

I do enjoy a full-length light bar, and the Atlas Cross Sport has those in the front and the back. You get all the illumination! Atlas Cross Sport doesn’t get the biggest grille which I appreciate. It has a familiar Volkswagen design which is quite handsome with the sculpted headlights and that light bar. The side profile is where things go a bit wrong. As the top banana, this Atlas Cross Sport has all the bells and whistles including 21-inch alloy wheels. They look good with the body cladding at the wheel arches, and then you see the roof take a massive slope. Because of the sloping roof line, the rear glass is tiny. There are four exhaust surrounds but they’re fake. A full-length light bar doesn’t make up for this. 

Thankfully, the driver and front passenger don’t have to compromise space or features. The seats are very comfortable, with heating and ventilation, and the cabin is adorned in Titan Black leather with Blue Underlay.  I’m glad that Volkswagen came to its senses and put regular buttons on the steering wheel. The GTI I tested had the capacitive buttons and they were very annoying to use, having to slide your finger or not knowing if you pressed a button. Atlas Cross Sport’s digital dials have a few different views including a full navigation map and a more sedate view with just the dials shown. Cross Sport is written largely in front of the passenger in blue. That seemed like overkill. 

Not thankfully, Atlas Cross Sport now has Volkswagen's fiddly climate control. The sliders aren’t backlit and you have no idea where anything is. You can press the Clima capacitive button to get to a menu but come on Volkswagen. I know you can do better. I found that using wireless Apple CarPlay was better than using the native infotainment system. As usual, the shifter is a little knob and the cabin is huge, but the quality is only good. The rear gets plenty of space with heating, but there’s a problem. Due to the design, there’s no third row! I get its style over substance, but this is a massive SUV! Per higher-end vehicles, it has an electric tailgate. 

I may complain about some of the interior, but there are almost no complaints about the new engine. Atlas Cross Sport can only be had with a 2.0-liter engine producing 269 horsepower/198 kW and 273 lb-ft/370 Nm. With an all-wheel-drive and an eight-speed automatic, 0-60 MPH comes in 6.7 seconds. It’s a strong engine with plenty of power. Although you can control the transmission with paddle shifters, let the transmission do its own thing. Shifts can be slow and a little jerky. There are a few drive modes including eco, normal, and sport. Leave it in normal mode to save yourself some MPGs.

One of the main reasons that I don’t like SUV coupes is that they don’t handle coupes. When you’re a large SUV that weighs 4,600 lbs, you’re not going to stick to corners. Not a surprise, that the Atlas Cross Sport isn’t the best in corners. There’s understeer and feels a bit nervous. Steering is pretty numb so I recommend doing the family run to the grocery store in a more sedate way. The highway is where this shines because it is comfortable and has Volkswagen’s safety system. Fuel economy was so-so at between 22-24 MPG. 

You can get a base SE for $38,000, but that probably doesn’t have a lot of features. At the other end of the spectrum is this SEL R-Line. Here’s what you get for your $52,000. The exterior gets the 21-inch wheels, adaptive headlights, and a panoramic roof. For the interior, there is the heated steering wheel, heated and ventilated Vienna seats, heated rear seats, and many other standard features. If you want to splurge on an Atlas Cross Sport, you could get the SEL R-Line. Most consumers may get lower trim levels such as the SE 4Motion for around $40,000 or the SEL 4Motion for $49,000. 

As I said earlier, I’m not a fan of SUV coupes. It won’t be a surprise that I don’t recommend the Atlas Cross Sport, but I would take a look at a regular Atlas. Why? Three rows, more space, and is less expensive. Volkswagen has compromised build quality and a stupid climate control system which you can get used to. Still, there is tons of space, comfortable seats, and a strong engine. Not all consumers are like me, and they like looks over functionality. Atlas Cross Sport isn’t the best in its segment, so I say look at a Mazda CX-90 or Hyundai Palisade. They’re better to look at, better to drive, are more practical, and around the same price.