Chattanooga—VWoA unveiled the Atlas Cross Sport at its Tennessee plant Fri. Oct. 12. VW announces pricing during spring 2020. Expect two powertrains, a 276-hp V6 or 235-hp four-cylinder turbo routed to an eight-speed automatic transmission with available 4Motion all-wheel drive.
Cross Sport is the first fruit of VW’s doubling up strategy, second SUV models based on existing ones. VW claims the Cross Sport represents a $340 million additional investment in the U.S.
This couple-like vehicle shares the Atlas’s 117.3-inch wheelbase. It’s 2.3-inches lower, 2.8-inches shorter and has two-row seating Passenger space is amble. Moreover, VW claims there’s 40.3 cu ft of luggage space behind the rear seats.
Its steeply raked rear hatch, new front-end treatment and chrome accents lend a sense of style.
Inside, the Cross Sport gets several upgrades including a new steering wheel, stitching accents and many tech features such as wireless phone charging, heated rear seats, ventilated front seats, rear sunshade, 12-speaker Fender audio system and configurable Digital Cockpit. VW’s Car-Net now offers smart-phone integration for vehicle monitoring and control. Plus, there’s Car-Net Hotspot internet for up to four devices.
Cross Sports come in one of eight trim levels. Two new driver-assist features include Traffic Jam Assist–a radar/camera based low-speed cruise control with start/stop and lane keeping. Dynamic Road Sign Display uses the front camera and navigation data to display speed limits.
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