2024 Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport Revealed

The 2024 Volkswagen Atlas and Atlas Cross Sport have arrived as moderately refreshed SUVs at the Chicago Auto Show. A tweaked exterior design joins a thoroughly overhauled interior. Plus, Volkswagen has done some powertrain shuffling.

For starters, Volkswagen has upgraded the base 2-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine making it the only engine option. That means the upgrade of a V6 is no longer available. The beefed-up four-cylinder now cranks out 269 horsepower and 273 pound-feet of torque, additions of 34 and 15 respectively. It still lags behind the outgoing V6 in horsepower, but now surpasses it in torque. Maximum towing capacity stays the same at 5,000 pounds, and Volkswagen has kept the same 8-speed automatic transmission to shift gears. Furthermore, Front wheel drive remains standard, while all-wheel drive remains an option.

Exterior changes are most obvious in the dark. The new daytime running lights run all the way across the front of the Atlas and Atlas Cross Sport, dominating the design. This new light and the light-up Volkswagen badge are standard on all but the base models of both Atlas models. The front fascia of each is updated with revised side air intakes, and the coupe-ified Cross Sport uniquely gains gloss-black trim details to set it apart. Both Atlas models get larger rear spoilers and full-width rear tail lights — again, base models are left out of the full-width lighting. New wheel designs are available across the board and range from 18-inch to 21-inch options, the latter of which come exclusively with the R-Line appearance models. Lastly, the Cross Sport adds a special rear diffuser to give it a sportier look than its more traditionally shaped sibling.

On the inside, Volkswagen has added its newest suite of tech to the Atlas and Atlas Cross Sport. This means the Atlas gets Volkswagen’s Digital Cockpit Pro infotainment system that plays on a 12-inch touchscreen display. Plus, it gets Volkswagen’s Climatronic touch controls for temperature adjustment. We’ve been deeply disappointed in this new control stack in testing of the GTI and Golf R, and it looks like we’ll be in for a similar experience in the new Atlas.

Standing alongside the new infotainment is a new, configurable 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster that comes standard. Wireless Apple CarPlay, wireless Android Auto and wireless phone charging are all along for the ride, but you can plug in to any of the eight available USB-C ports scattered throughout the interior, too.

Since Volkswagen’s new infotainment/climate control system is an all-inclusive setup, the whole interior needed a redesign to fit it. The Atlas features a totally new center stack, dash and door panel design. The new shifter is the same nub-style shifter seen in automatic GTIs or Golf Rs. An intriguing light-up dash displays the specific model’s name in front of the passenger, and ambient lighting is now simply everywhere you look. It's all very clean and minimalistic, but we’ll see how usable the new Atlas interior may be once we get our hands on one.

Other notable upgrades include a new leatherette dash and leatherette center console for more soft-touch surfaces. Volkswagen also offers available quilted leather seats in the top model, all in an effort to amp up the niceness of the Atlas’ interior. More features have been made standard equipment, including desirables like ventilated front seats, a heated steering wheel (with shift paddles) and a height adjustable passenger seat. On the tech side, Volkswagen added its IQ driver assistance suite as standard equipment, which means every Atlas will have Volkswagen’s lane-centering system alongside others like blind spot monitoring and front and rear emergency braking. Adaptive cruise control can be added as an option.

Volkswagen isn’t talking price for the 2024 Atlas and Atlas Cross Sport yet, but expect those details to be made public closer to the third quarter of 2023 when both models will go on sale.