2020 Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport First Drive: Following the fashion

Whistler, B.C. - Car manufacturers are looking for new niches to sell more models. There’s nothing in that really, but currently one of the most promising segments ripe for expansion is that of the midsize 5-person SUV.

This category is inhabited by a few veterans that for years had little competition and have been well-established for years. Think of the Jeep Grand Cherokee, the best-selling vehicle in its class in Canada, or the Ford Edge, which has also been in place for a long time. Other models have been added recently, like the Chevrolet Blazer and Honda Passport. We can now add the Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport to the residents’ list.

Economy of (smaller) scale
Volkswagen followed the same principle as Honda with the Passport, essentially taking the platform and engines of the Atlas and removing the back two seats and some length. The Atlas Cross Sport is therefore based on the same chassis as the Atlas but offers an overall length 59 mm shorter than the 2021 generation of the Atlas arriving this summer.

Beyond that, it features new headlights that lengthen the centre bar of the three-bar chrome grille. The rear pillar and tailgate have a longer slope than the Atlas to give the impression of a 4-door coupe. VW also took the opportunity to redesign the styling with a slightly more flowing silhouette in the Trendline, Confortlime and Execline versions. The latter, for an additional $1,690, comes in an R-Line version that features a unique bumper with a prominent R logo and more chrome and black lacquered trim, as well as available 21-inch wheels.

Two small pet peeves about the Cross Sport: the base 18-inch wheels look a little cheap for a $38,000 SUV, and Volkswagen has installed fake exhaust pipes (dual for the 4-cylinder engine and quadruple for the V6) that frankly look ugly. Dual fake exhausts for the 4-cylinder engine and quadruple fake exhausts for the V6. If the exhaust is hidden under the hood, leave it there. There's no need to pretend otherwise, no one is fooled.

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