Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport (US) review

There have been some big updates in here for the Atlas Cross Sports' 2024 facelift, the most obvious being the screenage that sits up front. Every trim level now gets a 10.25-inch digital dial display with four different views to choose from. Then there’s also a 12-inch tablet that sits in the centre of the dash for all your infotainment needs, and on the passenger side you can have a rather nifty light display that displays the name of the car in up to 30 different colors.

Is that screen any good?

Well, if you’re familiar with recent VW infotainment systems then you’ll know what we’re about to say. The touchscreen can be a little laggy and the whole system often takes a long time to load. Thankfully there are a few shortcut buttons underneath the screen to quickly access things like the climate controls and drive modes, but we’d prefer they had separate knobs and buttons to be fully controlled without any interaction with the screen.

Worth noting here that Apple CarPlay/Android Auto connectivity is standard fit, as is wireless phone charging and four USB-C ports.

What else do I need to know? 

There’s plenty of space up front in the Atlas Cross Sport and you get comfy chairs with leatherette as standard and proper quilted leather on top spec SEL Premium R-Line models. The front seats are heated and ventilated as standard on all trims and there’s plenty of room in the rear too, although the bench is strangely reclined. A heated steering wheel is also standard fit and there are gearshift paddles that you’ll likely never use.

There’s decent storage space in the cabin too with a storage cubby underneath the center console and a 40.3 cu-ft trunk that grows to 77.6 cu-ft if you drop the second row of seats. Generally the fit and finish is impressive.

Oh, and most trim levels feature a six-speaker audio setup, but splash out on the SEL Premium R-Line and you’ll get an excellent Harmon-Kardon premium audio system thrown in. Plus, on SEL trims and above you get a 4.5 by three foot panoramic sunroof as standard with a two-part glass opening section. Nice.