Volkswagen of America, Inc. unveiled the all-new 2020 Atlas Cross Sport at the company’s state-of-the-art factory in Chattanooga, TN today. The five-seater midsize SUV features a dramatic, coupe-like design as well as advanced connectivity and driver-assistance systems.
The Cross Sport is the first fruit of Volkswagen’s strategy of doubling up in the biggest SUV segments, a plan that will be repeated in the compact SUV segment with a vehicle that will fit in the lineup beneath the Tiguan.
“Building off the success of the Atlas seven-seater midsize SUV, we see an opportunity for a five-seater model that offers even more style and almost as much interior space,” said Scott Keogh, CEO, Volkswagen Group of America. “We look forward to entering this growing segment with the Atlas Cross Sport, which offers outstanding Volkswagen technology, driver-assist features, style, and value.”
Overall, the Cross Sport is 2.8 inches shorter than the current Atlas, and is 2.3 inches lower. It is 78.3 inches wide and rides on the same 117.3-inch wheelbase, which is the reason for the vehicle’s generous interior space. The Cross Sport has an outstanding 111.8 cubic feet of passenger space, with 40.3 cu ft of luggage space behind the second-row seats and 77.8 cu ft with the second row folded.
Externally, the Atlas Cross Sport has distinctive styling that builds on the basics of the Atlas but takes it to a new level. At the front, the Cross Sport gets an upscale three-bar chrome grille and a distinctive new light signature that extends the width of the middle bar. An aggressive new front bumper and subtly sculpted hood complete the front end treatment that looks remarkably close to the stunning concept that was shown at the 2018 New York Auto Show.
The Cross Sport’s profile is racier than the Atlas, with a steeply raked rear pillar and rear hatch. New lights and a sculpted rear bumper give the rear end real presence, while chrome accents on the lower body sides, rear bumper, and windows add to the bespoke look of the design. R-Line® trims have even more heavily sculpted bumpers with chrome and piano black treatments around the lower front air scoops, as well as available 21-inch aluminum-alloy wheels.
Inside, the Cross Sport receives upgrades over the existing Atlas. There is a new steering wheel, with more intuitive controls, available stitching accents on the door inserts and seats, and new high-tech features, including available wireless mobile charging. Available luxury features include heated rear seats and steering wheel, as well as ventilated front seats, rear sunshades, and the Fender® Premium Audio System with 12 speakers. The Volkswagen Digital Cockpit configurable instrument display is available on the SEL trim as well as the SEL Premium. In addition to offering massive amounts of cargo space, the Atlas has an impressive 40.4 inches of rear-seat legroom.
The Volkswagen Car-Net® suite of connected features is upgraded for MY20, with an updated mobile app, a long list of no-charge services for five years, and new subscription options. For instance, Car-Net Remote Access gives owners the ability to interact with their vehicle from miles away via the mobile app. It is offered at no additional charge for five years from the date of vehicle purchase. Features include remote start and stop (if equipped), remote door lock and unlock, remote honk and flash of lights, last parked location, and remote vehicle status display, which provides information on fuel level, mileage, and door and window status.
Volkswagen owners with factory-installed navigation can send destinations or points of interest directly to their car from the app, helping to save time. Coming later this year, owners will also be able to connect their VW Car-Net account to compatible smart home devices to send voice commands to their vehicle to check the fuel level or remote start the engine.
Car-Net Hotspot allows passengers to access the internet with up to four connected devices simultaneously, including tablets, smartphones, laptops, gaming devices, and more—all at 4G LTE-enabled speed.
The Atlas Cross Sport is available with a suite of advanced driver-assistance features. The base S model has standard Forward Collision Warning with Autonomous Braking (Front Assist), Blind Spot Monitoring, and Rear Traffic Alert. Further up the trim walk, features such as Adaptive Cruise Control with a Stop and Go feature and Park Distance Control become standard.
For this model, there are two new available driver-assistance features:
- Traffic Jam Assist (TJA): This system uses the front camera and front radar sensor to help maintain following distance from the car in front, and help center the Atlas Cross Sport in its lane. It can operate from 0 – 37 mph, and can bring the vehicle to a full stop when traffic conditions demand. If traffic starts moving again within three seconds, the system restarts the vehicle into the flow. If the stop is longer than three seconds, the driver can start things off again by tapping the gas pedal or the “Resume” button on the steering wheel. Adaptive Cruise Control and Lane Keeping System (Lane Assist) must be active for the system to operate.
- Dynamic Road Sign Display: For Atlas Cross Sport models with factory-installed navigation systems, this system will display speed limits, no-passing zones, school zones and work zones on the navigation screen and instrument panel when detected by the front camera and navigation system data. The system can display multiple signs simultaneously when appropriate.
The Cross Sport will be available with two powertrains: a 276-horsepower V6 and a 235-hp four-cylinder turbocharged and direct-injection TSI® engine. Both engines are mated to an eight-speed automatic transmission and are available with Volkswagen’s 4Motion® all-wheel-drive system. The V6 is rated at 5,000 pounds for towing, when equipped with the V6 Towing package.
There will be eight trim levels: S, SE, SE w/Tech, SE w/Tech R-Line, SEL, SEL R-Line, SEL Premium, and SEL Premium R-Line. More details and pricing will be announced ahead of the launch in the Spring of 2020.
The Atlas Cross Sport is built alongside the Atlas and Passat at the Volkswagen Chattanooga Assembly Plant, the result of a $340 million additional investment by Volkswagen in the facility. Volkswagen has now invested more than $2.6 billion in the area and has about 3,800 direct employees. The Chattanooga factory expects to receive an $800 million investment for the production of electric vehicles in the future.
