​​Driving.ca Reviews the 2026 Atlas Cross Sport​ 

Avoiding excess baggage, both figuratively and literally, is what all mid-size 2-row SUVs are about, and the Atlas Cross Sport is no exception. Like its competitors, the Atlas Cross Sport is a shorter, sportier version of the 3-row SUV in the brand’s lineup, making it ideal for people who appreciate mid-size spaciousness but don’t need a third row of seats or a wagon roof that extends far enough to accommodate one. Canadian enthusiast site Driving.ca spent time with the 2026 Atlas Cross Sport, and Bud Brown Volkswagen summarizes their impressions. 

Their review spent a paragraph apologizing and nuancing the point that they found the Cross-Sport a bit Toyota-like in its practicality. More specifically, they found it not overtly sporty or overly luxurious, but clearly well-engineered and designed to meet a wide range of practical needs. 

However, unlike Toyota, which likes to put a 2.5-liter naturally aspirated 4-cylinder engine in everything that isn’t tiny or a truck, the Cross Sport is powered by a 2.0-liter turbocharged inline-4. The brand has massaged and refined this engine for years. In this application, it produces 269 horsepower and 273 lb-ft of torque, which is sent through an 8-speed automatic transmission before being sent to all four wheels, as AWD is standard across the model line.  

That is enough to move the Atlas Cross Sport quite well in town and on the freeway, particularly since it is surprisingly light for its size at 4,375 pounds. By comparison, both the directly competing Honda Passport and Mazda CX-70 can easily tip the scales at 300-400 pounds more. 

After trying a few terms, they described the dashboard as “minimalist,” though Volkswagen would rather you think of it as “clean and uncluttered.” The driver has a 10.25-inch digital display, and in the center is a 12-inch touchscreen that also handles most of the climate controls, along with some buttons and sliders just below the screen. 

The author brings up several details about how the infotainment system works. Some are good, some less so, but all are things you won’t even think about after owning the car for a while. For instance, he considers it a flaw that the windshield defrost control (quite important in Canada) is located to the left of the steering wheel. An unexpected location, to be sure, but once you, as an owner, know, you don’t really think of it again. 

He praised the available Harman Kardon audio system as “one of the best standard stereo systems in anything in this price range”. He was also impressed by the “smart climate” system’s features, including one-touch, scenario-based adjustments such as “Clear View,” “Warm Feet,” or “Cool Feet.” 

On the road, the reviewer found the Atlas Cross Sport to have a “delicious combination of ride and handling. More firmly suspended than most comparable utes, the Cross Sport nonetheless remains quite comfortable. Indeed, on most roads, increased damping provides better body control, which can improve the ride.” He added later that at a steady 75 mph, with the engine “barely turning 2,000 rpm, the drive was so relaxing you’d swear you were behind the wheel of a Mercedes sedan.” He also considered the ride and handling the vehicle’s most standout (and un-Toyota-like) feature. Oh, and he thinks it looks really good.   

The Atlas Cross Sport is ideal for anyone who wants a spacious car with a fair amount of utility, though not a warehouse of utility, all-weather safety, and an excellent balance of ride and handling. If those attributes appear to you, visit Bud Brown Volkswagen and test drive the Atlas Cross Sport.