2024 Volkswagen Atlas SEL Premium R-Line Review

The largish two-row SUV landscape is one of the most varied segments in the automotive world. Manufacturers have different takes on what consumers want in a spacious, five-passenger vehicle. Subaru offers the wagon-like Outback, Nissan has the sporty Murano, while Toyota counters with the efficient Venza.

For this segment, Volkswagen has taken a different, yet sensible approach. The brand simply took the popular three-row Atlas, gave it a raked rear profile, and voila – the Atlas Cross Sport was born. This Atlas off-shoot gave customers a practical, large two-row SUV choice. We found the ride quality and interior materials weren’t top of the class, but interior space and value made it worth a look for consumers.

Having been around for several years, it’s time for the Atlas family to receive an overhaul, and this includes the Cross Sport. Straddling the line between all-new and refreshed, the vehicles receive a multitude of updates and changes. Eager to see if our complaints had been addressed, we grabbed a 2024 Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport SEL Premium R-Line (Execline in Canada) to spend a week with.

The exterior of the Atlas Cross Sport has been updated but is still instantly recognizable. For the casual passerby, it would take a 2023 model parked beside a 2024 model to really see the changes. As subtle as the changes are, we really like the new look. The rear taillights drew much praise and the light up logos on our tester are a funky touch.

The Kingfisher Blue exterior paint suits the SUV well, emphasizing its presence. Considered by many as part of the SUV Coupe fraternity, the Cross Sport has a less aggressive rear roofline than something like a BMW X6. The general shape reminds us of the Audi Q8, which we’re fans of as well.

The one exterior touch we are not fans of are the fake exhaust tips. It’s a trend that’s rampant in the automotive industry right now and one we cannot wait to go out of fashion.

One of the bigger changes this year occurs under the hood. Gone is the 3.6-liter V6 that the majority of Atlas models utilized. Also gone is the entry level turbocharged four-cylinder. In their place is a new 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder that makes 269 horsepower and 273 pound feet of torque. That’s a bit less power than the V6, but more torque.

Ditching the V6 engine has a lot of people concerned if this small four-cylinder is up to the task. The short answer is yes. Power is available throughout the rpm range, and it pairs very well with the 8-speed automatic transmission. In comfort or sport mode, the engine and transmission work in harmony to always have power readily available. Even with four adults and luggage, power is plentiful. It quickly made us forget all about the V6 or any concerns we had about its departure.

The new turbocharged engine also makes a pleasant sound, absent of thrashing, buzzing, or vibrations. The engine noise can be increased artificially in Sport or Individual mode if one is so inclined.

Running on regular grade fuel, the 2024 Atlas Cross Sport AWD is rated at 19 mpg (12.2 L/100 km) in the city and 26 mpg (9.2 L/100 km) on the highway. That’s an increase of 1 mpg city and 2 mpg highway compared to the V6 it replaces.

Although we really like the new engine, the way the 2024 Atlas Cross Sport drives is perhaps the biggest, and arguably best, improvement for 2024. Gone is the truck-like driving experience of the old Atlas Cross Sport. It no longer feels like a traditional SUV. It drives much more car-like, with Volkswagen DNA present throughout. We would liken it to a larger, heavier Passat.

Ride comfort is acceptable, delivering a smooth ride over smaller road imperfections. Larger bumps can be felt through the cabin, and we wonder if the smaller wheels with larger sidewalls would offer a smoother driving experience. As equipped, our tester has the largest wheel option, 21-inch alloys wearing 265/45R21 tires.

Even with those wide tires, at a curb weight of 4,359 lbs. (1,977 kg), Atlas Cross Sport isn’t meant for a local track day. Handling wise, it can hold its own and has more than enough grip to easily dispatch freeway on-ramps at unnecessary speeds. But don’t mistake it for a sporty-SUV. With 6.3-inches (159 mm) of ground clearance, don’t mistake for an off-roader either. The Cross Sport is more at home hustling along the freeway or backroad highways. It can also tow upwards of 5,000 lbs. (2,268 kg).

Inside, the Atlas sees another big improvement. The new interior design features a clean, minimalist approach with premium materials giving it an upscale feel. It was a talking point for everyone that stepped in the vehicle. The large windows and panoramic sunroof make it feel airy inside, giving the impression the vehicle is wider and larger than it is.

Up front, passengers receive 39.4-inches (1,000 mm) of headroom and 41.6-inches (1,058 mm) of legroom. The leather diamond stitched seats include power for both front passengers as well as heating and ventilation. Some found the seatbacks are a bit too stiff, but the adjustability of the driver’s seat suited plenty of body types.

Included in the SEL Premium R-Line (Canadian Execline) are a remote starter, ambient lighting, heated leather wrapped steering wheel, rain sensing wipers, power liftgate, wireless phone charging, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, head-up display, and around view cameras. When it comes to sights and sounds, there’s a 10.25-inch digital driver information center and a 12.0-inch infotainment screen hooked up to a 12-speaker Harmon Kardon sound system.

The infotainment software has a bit of a learning curve. It's set up like a smart phone and the operation is intuitive, customizable, and fast. By the end of our week, we had it set up just how we wanted it. But finding where some of the features are buried behind multiple menus can be a task. We’ll have a more detailed feature on the system in a future article.

The haptic controls within the cabin still frustrate us. While the touchscreen itself is quick to respond, the climate control and volume haptic buttons below it are not. Worse yet, at night, they are not illuminated so the front seat passenger is just guessing where to touch.

The front and rear window defroster buttons flank the exterior light controls down by the driver’s left knee. While trying to adjust the lighting, we instigated the front defrost on more than one occasion, and when trying to turn on the rear defroster, we turned off the headlights.

In Volkswagen’s defense, many of these features can also be controlled through the touchscreen and the driver does have hard controls on the steering wheel for things like volume and channel selection.

With the Atlas Cross Sport designed to transport multiple people, safety is a top priority. The vehicle comes standard with IQ.Drive which includes safety features like front assist, active side assist, rear cross traffic alert, adaptive cruise control, lane assist, and emergency assist. The SEL Premium trim also includes parking assist, lighting assist, predictive cruise control, dynamic road sign display, and more.

For 2024, the refreshed Atlas Cross Sport starts at a price of $38,065 (all prices include destination charges). This puts it at a similar starting price as competitors like the Ford Edge, Toyota Venza, and Nissan Murano. As tested though, the SEL Premium R-Line comes in at $52,795, higher than any of those competitors reach. If potential customers can live without a few options, the SEL R-Line lines-up better with the competition.

In Canada the Cross Sport comes better equipped in entry-level form and includes all-wheel drive standard. This gives it a starting price of $50,945. As tested, our Execline closes the pricing gap to its American counterpart, with an as tested price of $60,945.

The large two-row SUV market continues to be a varied collection of vehicles with specific target audiences; Atlas Cross Sport included. With this redesign though, Volkswagen has broadened the vehicle’s appeal. The brand addressed key areas of the Cross Sport, namely the interior quality and driving characteristics, and gave it a great new engine.

Granted, there still are some things we would change, like the interior controls and some exterior bits. But as it stands, the updated 2024 Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport has throughly impressed us.

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