2021 Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport

2021 is the second model year of the generation that began in 2020 and a carry-over year for the Cross Sport (the 2021 refresh applied to the three-row Atlas). Volume trims use the 235 hp EA888 2.0T, which is modest next to the 280–295 hp V6s in rival mid-size SUVs.

The turbo four makes 258 lb-ft from 1,600 rpm, nearly matching the VR6's 266 lb-ft.

The 2.0T runs 0–60 in about 7.5 s, and the VR6 is barely quicker. Both trail V6 rivals that run in the high 6s.

The 2.0T is smooth and has useful low-end pull around town, but it sounds strained and runs short of breath when passing on the highway. The VR6 is smoother but thirstier, and hardly any quicker.

The 8-speed automatic shifts smoothly in normal driving but can be slow to kick down, which blunts the modest engine's response.

With the tow package, the VR6 is rated for 5,000 lbs, which is typical for the class. The volume 2.0T is rated for only 2,000 lbs.

4Motion AWD is offered with both engines and includes the Active Control drive-mode selector with Snow and Off-Road modes. There is no low range or torque vectoring.

A pavement-oriented two-row crossover with about 8.6 in of ground clearance and no off-road trim, skid plates or lockers. The 4Motion Off-Road mode suits gravel and snow only.

Two gas engines (the 2.0T four and the 3.6L VR6) are each offered with FWD or 4Motion. There is no hybrid or electrified option.

The volume 2.0T 4Motion is rated at 22 MPG combined, below the mid-size gas SUV median. The VR6 4Motion drops to 19 MPG.

City economy is mediocre because the heavy body leans hard on the small turbo engine in stop-and-go traffic.

24 MPG on the highway trails the high-20s that many mid-size rivals reach.

The 18.6-gallon tank offsets the modest MPG for about 409 miles of combined range, which is mid-pack for the segment.

This is EPA's current estimate at 15,000 miles a year on regular fuel. It runs high for the class because of the modest MPG.

EPA rates both engines on regular unleaded, so premium is not required. Some spec aggregators list premium for the 2.0T, but VW's EPA certification uses regular.

NHTSA rated both 2021 Atlas Cross Sport drivetrains 5 stars overall. The 4-star frontal and rollover sub-ratings keep it from being a clean sweep.

The 2021 is the second model year of the 2020-launched Cross Sport, and a carry-over. It rates Good in both small-overlap tests, the original moderate overlap, both side tests and head restraints. It earned no 2021 Top Safety Pick, because pedestrian AEB is only Basic and the volume-trim headlights are Marginal. Clean crash results with no award puts it at the top of the middle band.

Front Assist AEB with pedestrian monitoring, Blind Spot Monitor and Rear Traffic Alert are standard on every 2021 trim, before the chip-shortage deletions of later years. The volume SE w/ Technology adds ACC Stop and Go. Lane Assist, Travel Assist and Active Side Assist (the IQ.DRIVE bundle) are reserved for SEL and above, so lane keeping is optional on the volume trim.

Vehicle-to-vehicle AEB rates Superior, but daytime pedestrian detection rates only Basic, and no nighttime pedestrian result is published.

Blind Spot Monitor and Rear Traffic Alert are standard on all 2021 trims, and rear automatic braking is standard. Active Side Assist steering intervention comes only with SEL IQ.DRIVE, and there is no trailer-aware coverage or safe-exit alert, so on the volume trim it is alert-only.

The volume SE w/ Technology has no lane departure warning or lane keeping, because Lane Assist is part of IQ.DRIVE on SEL and up. Where fitted, Travel Assist centering works, but reviewers note wander on curves and frequent hands-on prompts.

ACC with Stop and Go is standard on the volume SE w/ Technology. The combined Travel Assist highway assist is reserved for SEL and above, and reviewers note somewhat abrupt braking in traffic. Capable, with rough edges.

Volkswagen offered no hands-free highway driving in the US for 2021. Travel Assist is explicitly hands-on and uses a capacitive steering wheel to check for the driver's hands.

The S, SE and SE w/ Technology trims (the volume range) have non-adaptive LED projectors without high-beam assist, rated Marginal. The curve-adaptive lamps with high-beam assist on SEL trims rate Good.

Tall glass and upright A-pillars give a good forward and side view. The coupe-like sloped roofline and thick D-pillars shrink the rear window and over-the-shoulder view compared with the three-row Atlas. Front and rear parking sensors help on SE w/ Technology, but the Area View 360 camera is limited to the top trim.

The very roomy two-row rear bench and large rear doors make fitting car seats easy, and all three rear positions have complete LATCH hardware. However, IIHS rates LATCH ease of use only Marginal.

The Cross Sport is the two-row, five-seat derivative of the seven-seat Atlas, so it seats fewer than three-row mid-size rivals.

Front headroom is middling for a mid-size SUV and below the boxy Atlas's 41.3 in, because of the lower, coupe-like roof.

Ordinary front legroom for the class.

Adequate rear headroom, but the sloping roofline gives up 2.6 in against the three-row Atlas, and reviewers say it gets tight with the sunroof.

Exceptional second-row legroom for the segment, about 3 in more than the three-row Atlas's second row, with a reclining seatback.

There is no third row; the Cross Sport is a two-row, five-seat SUV, so this scores in the low band.

A large load bay for a two-row SUV, though the band is set against three-row SUVs with their third rows folded.

Generous for a two-row SUV, and well short of the Atlas's 96.8 cu ft.

Competitive everyday storage with a deep, square cargo bay and USB ports throughout, but nothing inventive.

Roomy, reclining rear bench, but reviewers found the 'Euro firm' front cushions hard over long drives and hip support only moderate.

Generally soft and comfortable, with some float over intersection transitions; R-Line trims on 21-in wheels ride noticeably rougher on choppy streets.

Quiet around town by most accounts, but tire hum from the big wheels and more wind noise than expected at highway speed.

Heated front seats and dual-zone climate from SE and remote start from SE w/ Technology, but only dual-zone (the Atlas gets tri-zone), and the heated wheel, ventilated fronts and heated rear seats need SEL/SEL Premium.

2021 is the second year of the first-generation Cross Sport (launched for 2020), a carry-over year ahead of the 2024 refresh. The entry S FWD with the 235 hp 2.0T was the cheapest configuration; the S trim was dropped for 2022.

SE w/Technology is the volume configuration (IQ.DRIVE adaptive cruise, remote start, hands-free liftgate) and most buyers add 4MOTION AWD; priced with the 2.0T, consistent with the 2022 file's volume-trim choice.

Same EA888 2.0T / 3.6L VR6 hardware as the 2022–2023 cars, so the same center-weighted figure from the published spread is used. VW parts and labor run above Japanese/Korean rivals but the Cross Sport is not unusually costly.

KBB shows the 2021 losing about 36% in three years — a steeper curve than the 2022 (33%) — which projects to just under half of MSRP retained at five years; weak for the class, and the 2024 refresh dates the pre-refresh car.

From MY2021 Volkswagen replaced the 6-yr/72k People First Warranty with a 4 yr / 50,000 mi New Vehicle Limited Warranty. Beats Honda/Toyota/Ford/GM 3/36, short of Hyundai/Kia 5/60.

With the MY2021 change VW dropped the separate longer powertrain term; engine and transmission are covered only for the 4 yr / 50,000 mi basic period — the shortest powertrain coverage in the class.

VW Carefree Coverage includes the first two scheduled services (2 yr / 20,000 mi), 3 yr / 36,000 mi roadside assistance and a Car-Net connected-services trial. Useful, but the 20,000-mile cap is tight.

$39,340 volume-trim price minus its estimated resale value after 5 years (48% retained, or about $18,883) leaves about $20,457 in depreciation. Add the projected $5,500 in 5-year maintenance and repairs, and owning this vehicle for 5 years costs about $25,957 in total.

2021 is the second year of the pre-refresh first-generation Cross Sport (launched for MY2020) and is a carry-over year. J.D. Power rates the closely related 2021 Atlas 68/100 (Fair) for Quality & Reliability, and Consumer Reports calls the 2021 Atlas about average. Owner feedback flags electrical and infotainment problems, so the score sits low in the average band.

Volkswagen has sat in the lower third of Consumer Reports' brand reliability rankings and below the industry average in J.D. Power's Vehicle Dependability Study across recent study years. Electronics and infotainment are the most-cited problem areas.

Fourteen NHTSA campaigns cover the 2021 Cross Sport, twice as many as the 2022. They include steering-knuckle fracture and damage campaigns, three air-bag-related defects (a PODS fault that deactivates the passenger air bag, corroding door-harness contacts that delay side air-bag deployment, and an AC drain leak onto the air-bag control module), and two rearview-camera faults. Several more are assembly-quality campaigns covering wheel-bearing bolts, wheel lug holes, relays and injectors. None is a park-outside or do-not-drive order, but the volume and the safety-system content are well above normal.

The volume 2021 Cross Sport uses the 235-hp 2.0L EA888 turbo-four with an 8-speed Aisin automatic. The optional 3.6L VR6 is an old, well-proven if thirsty design. The EA888 family is high-volume and broadly durable but carries known service items: water-pump/thermostat-housing leaks and carbon buildup. MY2021 is outside the 2022–2023 connecting-rod-bearing recall, but it is covered by the fuel-injector-filter campaign.

The pre-refresh cabin is roomy and logically laid out but plain. Reviewers routinely note plenty of hard plastics on the doors and lower dash, especially on lower trims. That is competitive for a mainstream mid-size two-row SUV but behind rivals such as the Honda Passport and Hyundai Santa Fe in perceived richness.

The Cross Sport is built in Chattanooga alongside the Atlas, and panel fit is generally solid. But 2021 was only its second production year, and a cluster of production-defect recalls points to inconsistent early assembly: steering knuckles damaged in production, mis-machined wheel lug holes, under-torqued wheel-bearing bolts, damaged relays and injectors without filters.

Volkswagen's US network of roughly 600–650 dealers is about half the size of Toyota's, which leaves coverage gaps in rural markets. Metro coverage is adequate, and owners rate the dealership experience as middling.

VW parts and labor cost more than those of mainstream Japanese and domestic rivals, and repair-cost indices put the brand above average for annual repair spend. The shared MQB/EA888 parts pool and a large aftermarket keep parts availability good.

The volume SE w/ Technology uses the 8-in MIB3 unit, small next to rivals' 9–12-in displays.

MIB3's capacitive screen with swipe and pinch-zoom and multi-phone pairing was an upgrade for 2021, but it remains small and some functions require the radio to be on.

Wireless App-Connect standard from SE up; only the base S is wired-only.

Discover Media navigation is an upper-trim item, so the volume trim relies on phone projection; MIB3's natural-language voice is subscription-gated.

Six-speaker base audio is ordinary; the 12-speaker Fender system is good but reserved for SEL Premium.

The configurable 10-in Digital Cockpit is good, with full-screen navigation, but standard only from SEL; the volume SE w/ Technology keeps analog gauges.

No whole-vehicle OTA updates; map updates come only through a paid Car-Net subscription on navigation trims.

Car-Net Remote Access covers remote start, lock/unlock, status and parked location free for five years; there is no phone-as-key, and safety services cost extra.

USB-C ports in both rows and a wireless pad on MIB3 trims, though reviewers found the pad finicky; there are no household outlets.

KESSY proximity entry and push-button start from SE; remote start and a motion-activated tailgate from SE w/ Technology; no phone-as-key.

The volume trim gets front and rear sensors and a rear camera; the Area View surround camera and Park Assist are top-trim only.

No head-up display is offered on any 2021 Atlas Cross Sport trim.

A huge second row and a big square cargo bay make kid duty easy, but it seats only five, and IIHS rates LATCH ease of use Marginal.

5-star NHTSA overall and Good IIHS crash results, with AEB and blind-spot monitoring standard, but lane keeping, Travel Assist and the better headlights wait for SEL; no 2021 IIHS award.

Limo-like rear legroom with a reclining bench, rear USB charging and a big 40.3-cu-ft cargo hold suit four-person trips; climate is only dual-zone and heated rear seats are top-trim only.

Light, easy steering and a comfortable ride make it relaxed around town; the 2.0T's hesitant downshifts and the size add minor friction.

About 20 MPG combined for the volume 2.0T 4Motion on regular fuel is below average for a 2021 two-row mid-size SUV; the VR6 is worse.

195.5 in long with a 40.5-ft turning circle, but light steering and front/rear sensors on the volume trim make it easier to park than its size suggests; the sloping roof cuts rear visibility.

The volume 2.0T tows only 2,000 lbs, and 5,000 lbs needs the VR6 with the hitch; the cargo bay is big for a two-row SUV.

A style-led unibody family crossover with no fleet or work orientation, and a mixed reliability record.

A factory hitch is available with the VR6, but there is no onboard power or work-oriented equipment.

A comfortable cruiser with ACC on the volume trim and good rear space, held back by firm front seat cushions, tire and wind noise, and Travel Assist only on SEL.

4Motion with Active Control drive modes and about 8.6 in of clearance handle gravel and snow, but road tires and a 2,000-lb rating on the 2.0T keep it soft-road only.

A wide, square 40.3 / 77.8 cu ft bay and a folding second row swallow bulky gear well for a two-row SUV, but it can't match three-row rivals at full fold.

Surprisingly agile and composed for its size, with respectable instrumented grip; it lacks the tautness of the sportiest rivals.

Quick and accurate, with moderately light weighting and excellent low-speed assist, but little real feedback.

Large discs give solid, responsive stops; the measured 70–0 distance is typical for a 4,400-lb mid-size SUV.

The 2.0T pulls with little turbo lag and the 8-speed shifts smoothly, but it hesitates on downshifts and feels strained when loaded; start/stop is standard.

Quiet at a cruise, but the four-cylinder sounds noisier and coarser than the V6 under hard acceleration.

A wide turning circle that reflects the 117-in wheelbase shared with the three-row Atlas.

Commanding, adjustable position with a logical dash, but the sloping roof and thick rear pillars hurt over-shoulder visibility, and the new capacitive wheel controls draw complaints.

Pleasant and more agile than expected, but the volume 2.0T is merely adequate and it has little character.

Every 2021 Cross Sport gets Front Assist AEB, blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert, and SE and up add MIB3 infotainment with wireless App-Connect and the Digital Cockpit, but the ~$32K S is sparse and adaptive cruise, remote start and the power liftgate wait for SE w/Technology. Competitive rather than generous.

A $32,050 starting price (the S trim, dropped for 2022) undercuts most two-row midsize rivals and buys a huge rear seat and cargo hold, but the 235 hp 2.0T and 276 hp VR6 are both down on performance, fuel economy is below average and resale is soft (~36% lost in three years).

The widest Cross Sport lineup of the generation: eight trims from S to SEL Premium R-Line, FWD or 4MOTION on most, and a choice of 2.0T or 3.6L VR6 across 18 configurations spanning ~$32K to ~$51K. No hybrid.

About 44,300 US sales in 2021 — the Cross Sport's best year, a strong showing for a two-row niche model, though well short of segment leaders and the three-row Atlas; sales then fell to ~24,700 in 2022 on constrained supply.

Volkswagen is a mainstream brand with some German-engineering appeal that suits the design-led Cross Sport, but it isn't aspirational in the US and trails Toyota/Honda on reliability perception, which shows in soft resale.

Early in the 2021 model year VW ran financing and cash offers on the Atlas line, but from mid-2021 the semiconductor shortage tightened inventory and discounts largely vanished industry-wide. A mixed year: some buyer benefit early, little late.

2021 is only the second year of the Cross Sport (launched for 2020), with a newly added MIB3 infotainment system and expanded driver assists; still a recent design, though the 2024 refresh (new interior, larger screens, VR6 dropped) was three years out.

Well-reviewed but rarely the pick of the class: critics praise the styling, roomy second row and cargo space, and fault the underpowered engines, plain interior and below-average fuel economy. No major 2021 awards or comparison-test wins.