Up Close With the 2024 Volkswagen Atlas, Atlas Cross Sport: Classier, With a Caveat

The Volkswagen Atlas three-row SUV and its shorter two-row sibling, the fastback-roof Atlas Cross Sport, are among the bigger vehicles in the mid-size SUV class. Their plus-size dimensions provide excellent room for both people and cargo, and they offer a splash of European style despite their thoroughly American proportions. However, the cabins of both Atlases felt a bit austere compared to some rival SUVs’, and we weren’t thrilled with the available V-6 engine’s power. VW aims to fix these issues with refreshed 2024 versions of the Atlas and Atlas Cross Sport, and we got our first in-person look at the 2023 Chicago Auto Show.

Related: More 2023 Chicago Auto Show Coverage

The Classiness

Both the Atlas and Atlas Cross Sport get an upgraded interior that’s a real step up from previous Atlas cabins. The top-line Atlas SEL R-Line we examined had classy light-tan leather upholstery in a perforated diamond-pleat pattern, attractive satin-wood-look trim inserts and a neat backlit name graphic on the passenger side of the dashboard (part of the 30-color ambient lighting feature on higher trim levels). The Atlas Cross Sport we viewed was also an SEL R-Line, but its cabin had a sportier ambiance thanks to carbon-fiber-look trim inserts and black leather upholstery with contrasting stitching and light-blue accents on the perforated diamond-pleat inserts. A heated steering wheel and ventilated (in addition to heated) front seats are welcome additions to the standard equipment list on all 2024 Atlases.

In place of the traditional shift lever of previous Atlases is a short “push-pull” gear-selector lever with a separate button to engage Park located ahead of it on the console. Its action seemed agreeable to us, and its low height frees up the driver’s access to other areas of the console, such as the cupholders and wireless charging pad. The console itself is redesigned to include a handy open storage area (for purses and the like) beneath the gear selector and cupholders.

The Caveat

We’re less enthused about another key interior update. The new 12-inch infotainment touchscreen is usefully larger than the previous Atlases’ standard 6.5-inch or available 8-inch displays, but the user interface and controls look to be very similar in design to the systems that have frustrated us in VW’s ID.4 and latest-generation Golf R. Likewise, the new capacitive-touch “slider” climate controls strike us as a dubious upgrade over traditional physical controls. The touchscreen’s response time to inputs seemed quick during the brief time we got to interact with it, but we fear many of the same headaches we experienced in the ID.4 will rear their heads here.

More Changes, Release Date

On the plus side, the Atlases’ exteriors get a subtle but nicely executed facelift for a more upscale look that complements the improved interior. The front fascia is bolder thanks to a new four-bar grille pattern, new headlights with full-width LED daytime running lights, and a slick light-up VW badge. In back is a full-width taillight treatment with attractive LED signature elements and another lit VW badge.

On the powertrain front, we won’t be disappointed by the Atlas’s 3.6-liter V-6 any longer because it’s no longer offered — both the V-6 and the previous turbocharged four-cylinder are replaced by a new turbo 2.0-liter four that’s almost as powerful as the outgoing V-6, at least on paper: It’s rated at 269 horsepower and 273 pounds-feet of torque. We’re eager to see how the new engine changes the Atlas’s character, and we’ll get our chance to test it later in the year. The 2024 Atlas and Atlas Cross Sport are scheduled to go on sale in the third quarter of 2023.

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More From Cars.com:

• What’s New for the 2023 Volkswagen Atlas?
• I Took My Own Advice and Bought a 2021 Volkswagen Atlas
• Which SUVs, Minivans and Sedans Have the Most Cargo Space?
• 2023 Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport Carries Over With New $35,755 Starting Price

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