2022 Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport Reviews, Pricing & Specs

Volkswagen made the 2022 Atlas Cross Sport by removing the standard seven-passenger Atlas model’s third row, dropping the roofline by as much as 2.3 inches for a more rakish appearance, and chopping the SUV’s length by 5.2 inches. The wheelbase remains the same, ensuring an exceptionally roomy interior for five people, but the Cross Sport’s stubby butt and angled rear window shrinks cargo space to 40.3 cubic feet behind the second-row seat and a maximum of 77.8 cubic feet.

These changes result in a bold, sporty, and upscale appearance, especially in SEL Premium R-Line trim with the newly standard 21-inch machined-finish wheels. The chunky, five-split-spoke design emphasizes the Atlas Cross Sport’s broad-shouldered stance.

Unfortunately, the other Atlas Cross Sport wheel choices aren’t as appealing. The base SE trim has 18-inch alloy wheels that look too small for the Cross Sport’s blistered fenders, but the SE with Technology gets larger 20-inch wheels that look more appropriate. Upgrade to SEL trim, and the 20s have a machined finish but look like delicate pinwheels spinning in a garden on a sunny day. The SEL R-Line Black has, you guessed it, black wheels.

Six paint colors are available, half of them requiring you to fork over some extra dough. The test vehicle was dipped in Pure Gray, and it looked fantastic in combination with the Dark Burgundy over Titan Black interior. The other interior colors include Cinnamon Brown and Titan Black. You really can’t go wrong with any of the Atlas Cross Sport SEL Premium R-Line’s color combinations—they all look great and convey an upscale appearance.

Unfortunately, the amount of hard, glossy plastic in the Atlas Cross Sport’s interior dulls the impression of quality, so don’t think you’re going to get a cut-rate Audi by choosing this VW. Also, the numerous storage areas that lack Volkswagen’s typical rubber or fabric-lined surfaces can produce lots of extra rattles and scraping noises while you drive. But if you can ignore these cheap fittings, you’ll feel like the Atlas Cross Sport is worth every penny.

Our Atlas Cross Sport SEL Premium R-Line carried a Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price (MSRP) of $52,495 including a destination charge of $1,295 to ship it to your dealership from VW’s Chattanooga, Tennessee, factory. Compare that to a standard Atlas SEL Premium R-Line equipped like our test vehicle, which would cost $53,195. So, by choosing the Atlas Cross Sport, you can save a little bit of money while getting extra style.

Volkswagen offers two engines in the Atlas Cross Sport. The standard engine is a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder supplying 235 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque, but only with premium fuel. And while the peak torque arrives at a reasonable 1,600 rpm, the Atlas Cross Sport weighs more than two tons—and that’s in base SE trim with front-wheel drive (FWD).

You may want to upgrade to the available 3.6-liter V6. It has an EPA fuel economy rating of 20 mpg in combined driving, which is 2-3 mpg less than the turbo-four, but the V6 doesn’t require premium gas to make its more satisfying 276 hp and 266 lb-ft of torque. The V6 engine also tows more trailer weight, thanks to its 5,000-pound towing capacity. The turbo-four is only rated to tow 2,000 pounds.

Both engines employ an eight-speed automatic transmission. FWD is standard, but VW’s 4Motion AWD system is available with either powertrain. You can choose from several driving modes with the 4Motion AWD system, including Onroad, Snow, Offroad, and Custom Offroad. Within the Onroad setting, additional choices include Comfort, Normal, Sport, and Individual.

The 2022 Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport SEL Premium R-Line that we test drove gets the V6 engine and 4Motion as standard equipment. Though an Atlas Cross Sport weighs only about 140 pounds less than the three-row Atlas, the V6 feels more energetic in the two-row version. That sounds suspect, we know, but we were happier with the powertrain in this Cross Sport than we were in the Atlas SEL Premium R-Line we evaluated a couple of months prior.

Still, this V6 is rapidly aging, the drivetrain occasionally lacks operational refinement, and we averaged just 19.2 mpg on our testing loop. In the larger and heavier Atlas, the V6 4Motion powertrain returned 19.6 mpg. However, our Cross Sport testing day was a hot and muggy one, and the air conditioning was working overtime.

Furthermore, though the 21-inch wheels and 265/45 Pirelli Scorpion Zero all-season tires look great, they don’t help with urban and suburban ride quality. At lower city speeds, the Cross Sport’s suspension can transfer too much impact harshness, with too much clarity, on too frequent a basis. Except on perfect pavement, the ride can feel harsh and almost brittle depending on the type of road zits you encounter, and larger and sharper surface features like speed bumps and potholes shudder, reverberate, and almost echo up through the structure.

At higher speeds, the Cross Sport feels too soft and compliant when you’re driving on a winding road with various whoops and dips. Though they tend to squeal too much in curves and corners, the tires supply good grip. Additionally, the suspension keeps body roll in check, and both the light-effort steering and brakes exhibit hints of German engineering. However, the Cross Sport’s float and wallow are unwelcome. It’s like VW got the suspension tuning backward, making the Cross Sport too soft when you want it firmer and too firm when compliance is preferable. We think an adaptive damping suspension is necessary for the top Atlas Cross Sport trim.

Highway driving is where the Atlas Cross Sport shines brightest. Here, the ride quality is agreeable, and the V6 engine is at its most efficient. Road noise can be more intrusive than expected, though.

We did not head off-road in the Atlas Cross Sport. With just 7.5 inches of ground clearance and the large, low-profile tires mounted to nice wheels that would scratch easily, we didn’t want to risk it. However, the hardware and software intended to support light off-roading include hill start assist, hill descent control, and the previously mentioned Offroad and Offroad Custom driving modes.

Because the Atlas Cross Sport shares its wheelbase, track width, and interior with the larger seven-passenger model (except for the third-row seat, of course), it is exceptionally roomy inside. You can carry five adults in this SUV, and families of four will find it especially accommodating thanks to the generous rear legroom.

Our test vehicle had 10-way power-adjustable front seats with heating and ventilation, heated rear outboard seating positions, a heated steering wheel, and a dual-zone automatic climate control system. A panoramic sunroof made the Atlas Cross Sport feel even bigger inside, and rear side-window sunshades help prevent sunlight from shining into kids’ faces.

Front and rear, comfort is king. Plus, there is no shortage of storage space thanks to roomy door panel bins, a large glove compartment, a sizable bin under the front armrest, and other nooks and crannies. However, as previously mentioned, VW doesn’t take its usual care in lining many of these locations with rubber or fabric, so whatever you put in them may rattle as you drive or scrape as they slide.

Volkswagen’s interior generosity extends to the Atlas Cross Sport’s cargo area, where you’ll find plenty of load-floor real estate with deep (unlined) wells to either side for carrying things that require some restraint. There is some storage underneath the load floor, too. Though the Cross Sport’s shorter length, lower roofline, and angled rear window reduce cargo space compared to the seven-passenger model, you can easily store full-size suitcases on their sides with plenty of room left over for backpacks or duffel bags.

The base Atlas Cross Sport SE comes standard with Volkswagen Digital Cockpit, a digital instrumentation panel that has an 8-inch display and pairs with a relatively simple 6.5-inch touchscreen infotainment system. The infotainment system includes Bluetooth smartphone connectivity, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and two USB-C ports.

All other versions of the Atlas Cross Sport have a more sophisticated 10.25-inch version of Volkswagen Digital Cockpit with different theme and data views. The infotainment system also gets an upgrade to an 8-inch touchscreen with a proximity-sensing display, Bluetooth pairing for two devices simultaneously, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, SiriusXM with 360L satellite radio, wireless smartphone charging, and more USB ports, including for the rear-seat passengers.

The upgraded infotainment system also provides access to three different Car-Net connected service subscription plans. Depending on the plan, you can remote-start the Atlas Cross Sport’s engine, you can use an emergency assistance call button, you can enjoy a WiFi hotspot and more. With a paid WiFi service plan, you can also upgrade to extras that keep the available embedded navigation system’s maps and data current, allow access to internet radio stations, and provide natural voice recognition.

Fundamentally, this technology checks all of the right boxes. However, the user experience is often a source of frustration, whether that relates to interaction with the touchscreen and the physical controls or attempting to use the standard voice recognition technology without the Car-Net WiFi hotspot plan and its Plus Speech natural voice recognition upgrade. Ultimately, we think your best bet is to simply pair your smartphone and run Apple CarPlay or Android Auto. You’ll likely save yourself some aggravation.

Our SEL Premium R-Line test vehicle had a 12-speaker Fender premium sound system, and it was sensationally good for this price point. Volkswagen has moved away from Fender in some of its models, which, in our opinion, is a mistake.

As you move up the Atlas Cross Sport trim level ladder, you get more safety features. However, every version includes forward-collision warning, automatic emergency braking, blind-spot monitoring, and an automatic post-collision braking system that brings the vehicle to a stop immediately following a crash.

All Cross Sports except for the base SE trim get adaptive cruise control, front and rear parking sensors, and a low-speed automatic braking system to prevent bumps when parking. Upgrade to SEL trim and the SUV features automatic high-beam LED headlights, lane-departure warning, lane-keeping assist, lane-centering assist, rear cross-traffic alert, and IQ Drive.

IQ Drive includes two features: Travel Assist and Emergency Assist. Travel Assist pairs the adaptive cruise control with the lane-centering assist system, but you must keep your hands on the steering wheel. Remove them, and Emergency Assist assumes that you’ve fallen asleep or suffered a medical emergency, and it will bring the Atlas Cross Sport to a stop with the hazard lights flashing.

In addition to these features, our SEL Premium R-Line test vehicle included a semi-autonomous Parking Steering Assistant system and an Area View 360-degree surround-view camera system.

During the evaluation, we found Travel Assist occasionally too obvious about its steering inputs to maintain lane position and braking to maintain a safe travel distance to vehicles ahead. However, the overall assessment is that Travel Assist is accurate and sophisticated if lacking a bit of refinement.

Also, we much prefer the Atlas Cross Sport’s traditional matte-black steering wheel controls for Travel Assist compared to the gloss-black, haptic feedback, touch-sensing controls in the latest VW Tiguan and Golf GTI. Reflections and glare make the glossy, touch-sensing buttons hard to read, and it’s easy to accidentally activate their functions, whereas neither issue is a problem in the Atlas.

As was true of our experience with the standard Atlas, however, the Cross Sport’s Lane Assist technology inaccurately perceived road construction scars as lane markings, in turn attempting to make unnecessary course corrections. That is another source of driver aggravation.

One notable driver assistance tech improvement over the three-row Atlas is that with a family of four aboard, the automatic reverse braking system isn’t quite as sensitive when backing out of a driveway. In the standard Atlas, unless we creeped out of some driveways, the SUV would jerk to a halt. This did not happen in the shorter, stubbier Atlas Cross Sport.

If you’re unable to avoid a collision, the Atlas Cross Sport gets decent crash-test ratings. It does not earn the highest accolades from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) or the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), but the scores are nevertheless favorable.

Most of the Atlas Cross Sport’s rivals are smaller inside, and many lack a similar sense of style. However, some demonstrate specific areas of superiority over the Atlas Cross Sport.

For example, the Hyundai Santa Fe is a better value, offers more advanced technology, and offers hybrid and plug-in hybrid powertrain options in addition to the standard gas engines. The Jeep Grand Cherokee and Subaru Outback are better for off-roading. The Honda Passport has a more refined and sophisticated drivetrain. And the Ford Edge ST is genuinely enjoyable to drive on a twisty road.

Nevertheless, the Volkswagen’s blend of bold design, custom styling details, and an upscale look can go a long way toward putting the Atlas Cross Sport closer to the top of your crossover SUV shopping list. And VW’s Carefree Coverage plan with complimentary scheduled maintenance, roadside assistance, and more, helps to make the Cross Sport a more cost-effective choice than some two-row midsize SUV alternatives.