Do you love everything the Volkswagen Atlas has to offer but don’t need the expansiveness of a three-row SUV? Volkswagen has the answer with the 2022 Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport, which takes everything you love about the Atlas and puts it on a smaller scale. This midsize SUV is both sporty and sophisticated, fun to drive, and laden with innovative features that keep you connected, informed, entertained, and safe.
The 2022 Atlas Cross Sport also proves to be an exception to a fairly common rule in the industry – that when you downsize a three-row SUV into a smaller version that you must sacrifice spaciousness. Volkswagen refuses to accept this rule and makes the Atlas Cross Sport one of the most spacious SUVs in the segment. This means that you don’t have to think twice about the comfort of your passengers or the ability to haul groceries, luggage, and other gear, making the Atlas Cross Sport a must-have for everyday adventurers looking for a versatile SUV that carries the Volkswagen name.
#1 – Powered to Your Driving Needs
For 2022, Volkswagen gives you the choice between two capable powertrains to customize the Atlas Cross Sport to your driving needs. The standard 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine balances efficiency with power and is mated to an 8-speed automatic transmission. This pairing delivers 235 horsepower, 258 lb-ft of torque, and an average fuel economy of 21 mpg in the city and 25 mpg on the highway.
Volkswagen answers the demand for more power with the available 3.6-liter V6 engine, which, like the four-cylinder, is paired with an 8-speed automatic transmission. The V6 pushes the SUV’s performance to the next level and equips the SUV with a trailer hitch that can handle its 5,000-pound trailering capacity. In terms of power, the V6 is quick to respond and fun to drive, delivering 276 horsepower and 266 lb-ft of torque, neither of which comes at the cost of efficiency as V6 models average 18 mpg in the city and 24 mpg on the highway.
#2 – Extended Capability for Any Terrain
If you live in an area with heavy rainfall or harsh winters, you’ll want to opt for the 2022 Atlas Cross Sport with Volkswagen’s 4Motion with Active Control all-wheel-drive system. 4Motion gives you the confidence you need to navigate slick terrain or hazardous situations by actively monitoring for tire slippage and traction loss. When this occurs, the system engages the rear wheels to deliver the torque needed to maximize traction and prevent dangerous situations like hydroplaning or spinning out.
When you opt for 4Motion all-wheel drive, the Atlas Cross Sport comes equipped with Active Control, which gives you greater control over how the SUV performs based on the terrain. The system offers four unique settings – Onroad, Offroad, Custom Offroad, and Snow. Onroad, which is the default mode, offers four sub-settings that include Normal, Sport, Comfort, and Individual, all of which further customize how the SUV performs on the pavement. Snow mode increases communication between the accelerator, wheel speed sensors, and Traction Control System to mitigate traction loss and deliver adequate power while the Offroad modes fine-tune the transmission and throttle response while activating tools like Hill Descent Control.
#3 – Fully Digital Cockpit
Volkswagen gives you all the information you need the moment you get behind the wheel of the 2022 Atlas Cross Sport. The SUV comes standard with Volkswagen’s advanced Digital Cockpit, which equips the Atlas Cross Sport with either an 8.0-inch or 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster. The 8.0-inch display is standard on the SE and offers two unique views with customizable widgets. Opting for the SEL upgrades the display to the larger, 10.25-inch Digital Cockpit Pro. The system offers three views and 21 viewing options that include full-screen navigation, driving data, driver-assist tools, phone information, and more so that you have everything you need within view.
#4 – Connected, Informed, and Entertained
Along with its fully digital cockpit, the 2022 Atlas Cross Sport is equipped with a center touchscreen display that uses the same capacitive-touch sensor technology as your smartphone or tablet. So, when is this helpful? Once you sync your smartphone to the system using Apple CarPlay or Android Auto, you can navigate the screen the same way you would your iPhone or Android device. You can even pinch to zoom, which is helpful when using navigation tools. Beyond this, the system is also home to SiriusXM with 360L, a next-generation platform that gives you access to over 10,000 hours of On-Demand content and more live channels, both of which become better tailored to your preferences as you use the feature.
#5 – Access in the Palm of Your Hand
Volkswagen gives you access to the Atlas Cross Sport wherever you are via Car-Net Remote Access, an app for your smartphone that allows you to remotely start and stop the SUV, lock and unlock the doors, honk the horn, flash the lights, locate the vehicle, check its fuel level, and more. Beyond these remote features, Car-Net also gives you access to the SUV’s WiFi hotspot and Amazon Alexa. With Alexa, you can use a simple voice command to search for a destination and have the directions sent to the SUV, honk the horn, start the engine, and access other remote features.
#6 – Confidence Behind the Wheel
The 2022 Atlas Cross Sport gives you the confidence you need when you’re behind the wheel with a suite of advanced safety and driver-assist tools. Every SUV in the lineup comes standard with Volkswagen’s Intelligent Crash Response System and Automatic Post-Collision Braking System. The Intelligent Crash Response System is a life-saving tool that unlocks the doors, shuts off the fuel pump, and turns on the hazard lights when the SUV is involved in a collision and the airbags deploy. The Automatic Post-Collision Braking System minimizes the risk of secondary collisions by engaging the brakes after the airbag sensors detect the initial collision, reducing the likelihood of a multi-car pileup or further damage.
The Atlas Cross Sport also offers an array of cutting-edge technology that extends your visibility and makes your time on the road less stressful. The IQ.DRIVE system uses radars, cameras, and sensors to collect data from the roadway and works in conjunction with tools like Travel Assist, a semi-autonomous driving tool that helps you steer, accelerate, and brake, and Adaptive Cruise Control Stop & Go. IQ.DRIVE also includes tools like Lane Assist, Emergency Assist, Front Assist (Forward Collision Warning and Autonomous Emergency Braking with Pedestrian Monitoring), Active Side Assist (Blind Spot Monitor), and Rear Traffic Alert to give you an extra set of eyes around the SUV at all times.
The Crossroads of Affordability and Innovation
Volkswagen took a risk by shrinking the Atlas to fill a vacancy in its lineup for a midsize SUV. That risk was well worth the reward because it introduced the sporty, sophisticated, and spacious Atlas Cross Sport. Today, the 2022 Atlas Cross Sport continues to build on the Atlas’ best features with a two-row layout that offers one of the largest cabins in the segment. Its affordable starting price of $32,775 makes it an even greater value, especially when you consider everything you’re getting in this remarkable SUV that carries the stellar reputation of the Volkswagen name.
