Volkswagen intoduces that Atlas Sport for 2020
We always seem to have a little extra love for new products from Volkswagen, starting with the time we had the hardtop convertible EOS to the new Atlas, 3 years ago. And so it was again with the introduction of the new Atlas Sport, a 5 seat little brother to the 7 seat Atlas.
This new Atlas is 5.2 inches shorter and 2.2 inches lower that its brother. This does give it a more athletic stance and of course overall look, and even with the lower ride we were very impressed with our ability to see the road and others around us, being still a mid-sized SUV!
“This is the boldest SUV in the Volkswagen stable,” said Scott Keogh, CEO, Volkswagen Group of America. “Pairing high design with the distinctive driving dynamics and value the brand is known for, the Atlas Cross Sport allows you to show up without showing off.”
We found this statement to ring very true during out week long adventure with the all new Atlas Cross Sport. With the new version there are a couple of very strong engine choices, the 235 horsepower 2.0 liter TSI inline-four cylinder or the 276 horsepower 3.6 liter VR6 that came under the hood of our test ride.
The V6 proved to be very powerful in the mid-sized SUV motoring us around with ease, either in the city or out on the highway, it turned out to be one of the strongest engines we had driven in this segment to date. At the end of the week we netted a pretty good 20.4 mpg, a little above the EPA estimate, quick point here is the larger engine runs on regular gas with the smaller turbocharged motor wanting to drink premium to achieve the stronger HP numbers.
We had the chance on Saturday morning to take our Daughter Sadie and her husband Brett up to Bountiful to pick up their car that had been worked on. Our daughter being the youngest has been in many of our press vehicles from the time she was just 15, so she was very quick to pick up on the fact that the rear seats were heated much to her delight on the cold November morning.
An addition that came standard in the almost top trim level SEL model Atlas Sport, she and her husband were also very impressed with the large panoramic sunroof that took up 80 percent of the top of SUV. They each also commented on the seemingly ample amount of head room and legroom in the back seat, a point that VW is very proud to show off in the design of the new mid-sized SUV.
Up front we were very impressed with the new technology that came in the SEL trim featuring most importantly the new Volkswagen digital cockpit. This incorporates a huge fully digital 10 inch LED display in front of the driver, which is also completely customizable for the driver.
We loved keeping the navigation map front and center of this display for the driver, allowing us to use the large 8 inch glass covered infotainment screen for more important things like the radio, our phones and climate control.
This one feature alone became very useful as we navigated to our destination early Saturday morning keeping all of the instructions right where Craig could see them and not have to look to the side to know where the next turn would be. With this in mind Deanne was able to keep everyone comfortable with the dual zone climate control and playing the right music, Christmas as it were, for Sadie was already in the Zone now that Halloween was over!
Up front the seats were also heated, with them warming to a fantastically warm temperature on the cold mornings, and most important the steering wheel also had a warming feature. The front seats were also cooled for the summer months when the black leatherette seats could get very hot indeed.
The SEL trim also features an upgraded 12 speaker Fender Audio system that proved to be everything we would have expected form a company like Fender.
New this year to the Volkswagen technology package is what they refer to as Car-Net that will allow owners to get connected to their vehicles via a downloadable app. Free for the first 5 years they can lock and unlock the SUV, remote start and stop, lock and unlock the doors, honk the horn and flash the lights even provide the last parked location, fuel level, and mileage.
They also hope to have out this year an app for smart watches that will do all of this also. Great new tech for VW and can be a life saver when looking for a parked car and you forgot where it really was, or maybe you just want to know where your teenage driver really went for the night.
Also new to VW is a wifi hotspot included for a monthly subscription, something we have found valuable on longer road trips when there was more than one person using a device in the vehicle, as this function allows for 4 devices to be connected at the same time.
Our ride with the kids was very enjoyable in the new Atlas Cross Sport with no complaints from them in the rear seat. Since the Sport is not that much shorter than a regular Atlas there is ample room in the rear for gear, strollers and other essential items that a younger or even empty nesters like ourselves always seem to need.
With a starting price of just $30,545 this new Volkswagen should prove to be a great addition to the mid-sized SUV world, making it affordable for almost anyone.
Base Price: $48,095
Price as Driven: $49,360
Newsletter
Sunday Drive
Sunday Drive: Unleashing Italian excellence in the 2024 Alfa Romeo Stelvio
Sunday Drive: Conquering the unknown with the 2024 Honda Passport TrailSport
