Americans’ love of the SUV form has grown quickly over the past several years, and in 2019 more than 2.8 million midsize SUVs went home to new buyers. But with dozens of models to choose from, and many ways to measure the important features and dimensions, getting a sense of the right SUV can be challenging.
To help guide your decision, we’ve created this look at the 2020 Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport by the measures that matter most when you live with a vehicle every day.
2nd Row Legroom
The Atlas Cross Sport offers a generous amount of second-row legroom in the midsize SUV class – and puts flying coach to shame.
Typical Airline Legroom: 31-33 inches
2020 Jeep Grand Cherokee 38.6 inches
2020 Honda Passport 39.6 inches
2019 Chevy Equinox: 39.9 inches
2020 Atlas Cross Sport: 40.4 inches
Cargo capacity
The Atlas Cross Sport offers one of the larger cargo areas in the midsize crossover segment, with 40.3 cubic feet of space with the second row up, and 77.8 cu. ft. when folded down.
That sounds like a lot, but “cubic feet” can be a hard measure to visualize. For comparison’s sake, the 40.3 cu. ft. of the 2020 Atlas Cross Sport equals:
- The volume of 1,929 medium cups of coffee
- About 8.5 times more cargo space than the original Volkswagen Beetle had behind its second row
- Just under double the trunk cargo space of a traditional taxi cab
- 9.8 cu. ft. more than the 2019 Chevy Blazer
- 8.2 cu. ft. more than the 2020 Nissan Murano (without moonroof)
- 4.0 cu. ft. more than the 2020 Jeep Grand Cherokee
- 1.1 cu. ft. more than the 2020 Ford Edge
Towing capacity
With 5,000 lbs. of towing capacity when equipped with a factory-installed tow hitch and 7-pin connector, the 3.6-liter V6, Atlas Cross Sport can tow or haul what your family needs to enjoy a road vacation, such as:
- Larger bicycle carriers that hold up to four bikes
- Many camping travel trailers up to 19 feet
- Utility trailers for boats, kayaks/canoes and small vehicles
Cupholding like a champ
The Atlas Cross Sport features 11 cupholders so that no passenger ever needs to go without a refreshment. Here’s the math:
- 2 in the center console
- 2 bottle holders in each front door
- 2 in the middle rear armrest
- 1 additional can/juicebox holder in the armrest
- 2 cup holders for the rear door panels
- 2 bottle holders for the rear doors
Roof Rails
When you add the available Volkswagen Base Rails to the existing roof rails of the Atlas Cross Sport, you get several new options for carrying a variety of your recreational needs or extra stuff. Volkswagen Accessories gear includes:
- Three types of roof boxes for road tripping with cargo
- A basket for camping/outdoor materials
- Bike attachments
- Winter sports carriers for skis and snowboards
- Boat hauling racks for kayaks, canoes, surfboards and stand-up paddleboards