First Drive: 2020 Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport Cranks Up Style, Tones Down Utility

The 2020 Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport may appeal to SUV buyers who are looking for a bit more style than VW’s seven-seat Atlas offers but don’t require that model’s three rows of seats or extra cargo space. Consumer Reports members will find our detailed test drive impressions below, including what we like and what we don't like so far.

The five-seat Atlas Cross Sport is 5.2 inches shorter, sits 2.2 inches lower to the ground, and has a considerably more sloping roofline than the regular Atlas. Mechanically, the Atlas Cross Sport is almost identical to the Atlas SUV we previously tested.

Prices for the Atlas Cross Sport span eight trim levels, starting at $30,545 for the base, front-wheel-drive 2.0T S model, all the way up to $49,795 for a well-equipped, V6-powered SEL Premium R-Line all-wheel drive, before a $1,020 destination charge.

Atlas Cross Sport competitors include the Chevrolet Blazer, Ford Edge, Honda Passport, Hyundai Santa Fe, Jeep Grand Cherokee, and Nissan Murano.

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CR plans to purchase and test our own Atlas Cross Sport, and that’s when we’ll put it through more than 50 tests at the CR Auto Test Center, including those that evaluate acceleration, braking, fuel economy, handling, car-seat fit, and controls. CR members will get access to that full evaluation as soon as it’s available.

In the meantime, we rented an Atlas Cross Sport from VW to learn a little more about this new SUV.

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