The 2023 Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport continues its stylish reign in the midsize SUV category.

Rolling into the fourth year of its first generation.  The five-passenger sport-utility vehicle is the second largest available in Volkswagen’s lineup.

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Offering a trim and price point for any new car buyer.  Atlas Cross Sport comes basic yet stylish with lots of interior space.  Or nicely danced up with luxury features while staying affordable.

2023 Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport Top-3:

1. Technology
   
2. Interior
   
3. Styling
   

2023 Atlas Cross Sport V6 SEL R-Line Black

New For 2023 Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport

Volkswagen stays the course for the Cross Sport nameplate in 2023.  With one notable change from its 2022 offerings.

And that’s the addition of a 10.25-inch configurable VW Digital Cockpit.

Trims And Prices: 2023 VW Atlas Cross Sport

For 2023 the VW Atlas Cross Sport is being offered in SE and SEL trims.  But with sub-trims within each of those.

So you have five different trims from which to go with.  Starting with the base-model SE trim and topping with the SEL Premium R-Line trim.

• SE $34,460
  
  • w/ Technology $38,630
    
  
  
• SEL $44,230
  
  • R-Line Black $46,180
    
  • Premium R-Line  $51,625
    
  
  

Engines, Transmissions, And Gas Mileage

The 2023 Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport is being offered with two different engines.  Two-wheel or all-wheel-drive.  While delivering good fuel economy.  Especially for a vehicle its size.

Engines

Volkswagen is offering a 4-cylinder and a 6-cylinder in Atlas Cross Sport.

The 4-cylinder is inline and 2.0-liter.  It’s turbocharged and intercooled.  Putting out 235 horsepower with 258 pound-feet of torque.

Then there’s the 6-cylinder that’s a 3.6-liter.  And it places 276 hp and 266 lb-ft of torque at the ready.

Transmissions

All 2023 Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sports come with the same transmission.  It’s a smooth-shifting 8-speed automatic.

But the difference is whether you go with 2WD or AWD.  And when opting for two-wheel the power comes from the front.

Also, when moving to all-wheel-drive, in VW-speak that’s called 4MOTION.

MPG

EPA estimates for the 2023 VW Atlas Cross Sport variations are similar.  That’s regardless of trim and configuration.

2023 VW Atlas Cross Sport MPG

• 4-cylinder turbo:
  
  • FWD 21/23/25
    
  • 4MOTION 20/22/24
    
  
  
• 6-cylinder:
  
  • FWD 18/20/24
    
  • 4MOTION 18/20/24
    
  
  

*City/combined/highway

Curb Weight

The 2023 Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport curb weight depends on configuration.

On the low end, the 4-cylinder with FWD comes in at 4,114 pounds.  Then the opposite side of the spectrum.  That’s the 6-cylinder with AWD, aka 4MOTION.  It comes in at 4,449 lbs.

Towing Capacity

When it comes time to drag your stuff around Atlas Cross Sport is capable.  Though it’s more commonly being used as a hauler of people.

The 2023 Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport can tow up to 2,000 lbs with the smaller turbocharged 4-cylinder engine.  And that jumps up to 5,000 lbs with the larger 6-cylinder.

Either way, those weights are with a braked trailer.  Rather than one without brakes.

2.0L Turbo 4-cylinder or 3.6L 6-cylinder engines

2023 VW Atlas Cross Sport Exterior

Atlas Cross Sport’s stylish design wins universal applause.

It’s athletic and sporty from every angle.  Bold front and rear fascias.  Attractive three-quarter views.  And its profile silhouette punches above its price point for sure.

Cross Sport is a Volkswagen vehicle for sure.  But the less-educated car-guy-eye can easily pass Cross Sport for its luxury sibling.  And that’s Audi’s Q8, with a starting price north of $73,000.

Moreover, Volkswagen Cross Sport arguably shares the shape of its supercar brethren in Lamborghini Urus.  And its starting price is a nose-bleeding $230,000.

Fun fact: Lamborghini is owned by Volkswagen Group through its subsidiary, Audi.

Various rim sizes are included, depending on the trim you go with.  There are 18-inch rims on the base model.  Then 20’s are standard with the rest of the models.  Except for the top SEL Premium R-Line.  That includes 21″ rims standard.

Exterior dimensions:

• Wheelbase 117.3
  
• Length 195.5
  
• Height 67.8
  
• Width 78.3
  
• Track
  
  • front 67.0
    
  • rear 67.6
    
  
  
• Ground clearance
  
  • 4-cylinder 7.1
    
  • 6-cylinder 7.5
    
  
  

*All inches

Atlas Cross Sport is slightly smaller than its Volkswagen sibling SUV.  The similarly named Atlas sport-ute.

Whereas the Atlas Cross Sport is a 2-row midsize.  The Atlas is a 3-row midsize SUV.

The exterior difference is apparent when looking at the profile of the vehicle.  Because Cross Sport has a sloping rear roofline.

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Inside the 2023 Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport

Volkswagen’s legendary fit and finish are felt inside the spacious 2023 Atlas Cross Sport.

And above all the interior of the 2023 VW Atlas Cross Sport is spacious.  That’s even with that sloping rear roofline.

Throughout the cabin, German engineering and attention to detail are on display.  Whether that’s a solid feel and weighty sounding close of a door.

Or the precision with which the backseats fold flat to accommodate whatever cargo you might be transporting.

Interior dimensions:

• Headroom 39.4/37.8
  
• Shoulder room 61.5/60.6
  
• Hip room 58.2/58.0
  
• Legroom 41.7/40.4
  

*All inches

Up to 77.8 cu-ft cargo space

Behind the backseats, Cross Sport provides 40.3 cubic feet of area for cargo.  And folding the backseats down opens up nearly double the capacity with 77.8 cubic feet of cargo space.

Additionally notable, Volkswagen offers a huge panoramic sunroof.  Another feature to note inside is that the top SEL Premium R-Line trim includes heated and ventilated front seats.  Plus heated rear outboard seats.

Digital Cockpit Pro

Infotainment And Technology

Leading technology in the 2023 Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport includes VW’s Digital Cockpit.

Removing old-school analog gauges in the dashboard, Digital Cockpit takes Cross Sport to the next level.  Technically speaking.  Because a customizable monitor now resides where miles per hour and revolutions per minute gauges used to be.

And Digital Cockpit is standard across all Cross Sport trims.  However, Digital Cockpit Pro is standard in the SEL trims.  With a scaled-down version coming standard in the SE trims.

Additional standard infotech features include Bluetooth.  Plus wireless charging and voice control in all but the base model.  Also available in the top trim is a Fender Premium 12-speaker sound system.

2023 Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport Top-3

1. Technology – Digital Cockpit is game-changing.  Displaying navigation between gauges feels the most natural of any configuration.
   
2. Interior – Top fit and finish marks are owned by Volkswagen.  That is when it comes to non-luxury vehicles.  VW is always solid.
   
3. Styling – Atlas Cross Sport is one of, if not, the best-looking midsize SUV for the money.
   

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