Who knew this is being built in Tennessee?

By Gary S. Vasilash

“This vehicle will be a real American – large, attractive and with many high-tech features on board. Above all, the midsize SUV will be made by real Americans.

“From 2016, this vehicle will roll off production line at the Chattanooga plant – as second core model in addition to the Passat.

“This major decision was taken by the Board of Directors of Volkswagen Group of America last Friday.

“So: Our midsize SUV will be a car “made in Chattanooga”!

“A car ‘made in the US’!”

While that might sound like something you’d hear someone say nowadays as the tariff situation (there is a 25% tariff on imported vehicles that is based on Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962; Section 232 deals with national defense: who knew that things like a midsize SUV would have military implications?), that was actually from July 14, 2014, in a speech by Dr. Martin Winterkorn, who, at the time, was CEO of Volkswagen. (He resigned the following year as a result of the Dieselgate scandal.)

The vehicle he was talking about is the VW Atlas, a seven-seat SUV that went into production late 2016 as a model year 2018 vehicle.

Yes, it was, and is, built in Chattanooga. (The Passat, however, ended production there in 2021.)

The Atlas gave rise to the model year 2020 Atlas Cross Sport. It is a five-passenger vehicle.

And the plant has been cranking out Atlases of both configurations ever since. (In addition to the electric ID.4.)

A faster roofline and more generous cargo capacity (40.3 cubic feet in the present version with the rear seat ready to accommodate people; in the standard Atlas, with the rear seatback up the cargo is 20.6 cubic feet*, but it should be noted that the Atlas version of the Atlas has a third row, so that explains the delta in space for stuff) are key differences, as are an overall, well, sportier appearance. Like a diffuser on the rear hatch that isn’t found on the Atlas.

Under the Hood

The vehicle is powered by a turbocharged, direct-injected four-cylinder engine, the “Evo4” TSI EA888, mated to an eight-speed automatic. The engine produces 269 hp and 273 lb-ft of torque, which is good for a vehicle that is 195.5 inches long, 78.3 inches wide, 67.8 inches high, has a wheelbase of 117.3 inches and a curb weight of 4,171 pounds. Merging onto a freeway and then driving on it are no problem with the vehicle.

There are sporty stainless-steel pedal caps—but one need not get too carried away thinking that this is a vehicle that will allow you to crush it on a gymkhana course.

The vehicle is EPA rated at 19 mpg city, 26 mpg highway and 21 mpg combined. Helping that is a feature of the 4Moiton with Active Control all-wheel-drive system (not all Cross Sports have this; there is a front-drive version, too).

Inside

On the inside, as this is the top-of-the-line there is good leather seating surfaces. (Lower trims offer leatherette.) The overall execution provides a sense of substance, as one would hope to get from a German car, even if it is one built some 4,600 miles away from Wolfsburg.

There is a 12-inch infotainment display. The Atlas has VW’s App-Connect system, though which things like CarPlay and Android Auto are accessible.

And there is what VW calls the “Digital Cockpit Pro,” a 10.25-inch screen that stands in for the gauge cluster. One advantage of this is that it provides things that are actually useful, like navigation information so the driver can keep eyes forward.

From the points of view of styling, content and powertrain, this is midsize that can hold its own against others in the category.

While there is a bit of a sacrifice to get that style, unless your needs are all about utility (which would then shift a look to the Atlas version of the Atlas), it is worth it.

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*It is interesting to note that while the seats-in-position cargo capacity of the Cross Sport is about twice that of the regular Atlas, through Q1 2025 the sales of the regular Atlas were about twice that of the Cross Sport: 16,902 to 8,689. Guess people either have more than five passengers on a regular basis or they anticipate that they will so they give up some sportier style for potential utility.