The Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport tested on the road

The Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport was first unveiled as a prototype back in 2018 at the New York International Auto Show. Since then, the Atlas Cross Sport has continued its development and should arrive on the market sometime in the next few years. Prototypes have already begun being tested out in the California desert.

The new Atlas Cross Sport is a coupe version of the three-row Atlas. It will have room for 5 passengers and will put the emphasis on styling and luxury at a reasonable price. The new Atlas Cross Sport prototype unveiled in the Big Apple was a plug-in hybrid with one V6 and two electric motors making a total of 355 horsepower. The Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport tested recently uses the V6 with 276 horsepower found in the current Volkswagen Atlas. In other words, there are still some details to work out in regard to the new Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport, but here’s what those that recently drove it had to say.

Even the suspension settings are essentially the same as those of the three-row Atlas. So on the road, the Cross Sport feels largely identical to its slightly larger brother. That's not a bad thing. We like the Atlas. Sure, its transmission is ever-eager to upshift, putting the V-6 outside of its powerband. And the Cross Sport's second-row head- and legroom measurements are comparable to those of the regular Atlas – Car&Driver

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Those familiar with the Atlas will immediately find solace in the driver's seat of the Cross Sport. The dash layout is virtually identical. The only thing that's notably different is the steering wheel. The Cross Sport's thinner, three-spoke wheel feels better formed than the current, chunkier three-spoke option on Atlas. Its buttons are easier to use, too. What's obvious is that VW intends to fill a niche that neither the Tiguan nor Atlas can (but other manufacturers already have). And with that in mind, the Atlas Cross Sport makes total sense. So far, it's a promising start – Motor1

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Climbing out of the valley and up to 4,000 feet of elevation, the Atlas pulls its trailer with ease, and even in these 123-degrees-Fahrenheit conditions, the temperature gauge's needle never modes past the halfway point. The Cross Sport's towing package doesn't include a brake upgrade, but on the way down the steep slope, they offer surefooted stopping power with the extra load behind me. The transmission also has a manual mode, which allows me to slow via engine braking.

After unhitching the trailer, the Atlas Cross Sport prototype is a lot more spry. It's lighter than the seven-passenger Atlas, thanks to its six-inch shorter body and two-row seating configuration. The V6 engine has more than enough power to get it up and moving with a quickness. My drive time is brief, but in this short test, the Cross Sport prototype proves to be a competent on-road performer -- just like the regular Atlas – CNET

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