In some ways, VW’s Atlas Cross Sport Concept is just that: A concept vehicle at an auto show loaded with gee-wiz features. In a lot of other ways, this is just VW’s latest SUV. But the real key to the Atlas Cross Sport Concept can be found in the press materials when VW says, “Atlas five-seater shows that Volkswagen has a serious SUV strategy.”
In other words, “take our SUVs seriously.” Well, should we take the Atlas Cross Sport Concept seriously"
Up To Speed
For those out of the loop, the quick sketch is that SUVs are a big deal. People want them, for a number of reasons you don’t have to be Sigmund Freud to really figure out. And car makers want to sell them, because the profit margins are higher than traditional cars. So, bottom line: Everybody wants in on the SUV game. And Volkswagen is kind of late to the party. So, their Atlas Cross Sport Concept has to hit all the right notes and make an impression. The Atlas Cross Sport Concept sits right in the middle of the SUV world. It’s not huge, like an Escalade, and it’s not goofy and tiny, like a Nissan Juke (if the Juke even counts). The Atlas can seat five and carry a lot of their stuff, and it looks like a modern SUV: a big, two-box design resembling a station wagon on steroids.
The Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport Concept on display at the 2018 New York International Auto Show.
Just Enough
The Atlas Cross Sport Concept is 7.5 inches shorter than the run-of-the-mill A...