2024 VW Atlas Cross Sport Interior Review: Taking steps forward and backward

Volkswagen interiors are a contentious level of outrage at the moment. The corporate went all-in on a modern minimalistic theme that eschewed buttons, totally embraced an all-new infotainment machine and typically appeared futuristic. As you almost certainly already know, it used to be now not met with proclaim to mention the least. From the infuriating cloudy temp and quantity sliders, to a sluggish and poorly laid out touchscreen person interface, the cabin controls had been malicious plethora to be a dealbreaker for lots of. Fortunately, Volkswagen has now backtracked and is making large, in large part a success adjustments by means of reintroducing buttons amongst other “illuminating” updates in the pursuit of making the new interiors user-friendly. Now, you could be pondering that for the reason that 2024 Volkswagen Atlas and its two-row Atlas Cross Sport sibling had been considerably up to date for 2024 that they’d be getting those self same course-correcting updates. That’d be a negative, because the Atlas introduced prior to the primary modern VW offered with its modern interface, the ID.7. Nonetheless, it’s a humiliation that alternative 2024 style month VWs get the modern machine, maximum particularly the ID.4, and the 2024 Atlas doesn’t.

It’s true the Atlas and Atlas Pass Recreation get a modern inner design with fewer buttons, larger monitors and a contemporary, minimalistic taste obviously homogeneous in thought and glance to what you’ll to find within the ID.4 and GTI. As you’ll be able to see underneath, the result’s a remarkably other cabin for higher and for worse. The “worse” bit is homogeneous to the truth that the former cabin used to be considerably more uncomplicated to utility, even with used tech and a smaller touchscreen. Crucially, the Atlas and Atlas Pass Recreation additionally don’t get those self same updates that so advanced the ID.4. Successfully, Volkswagen is atmosphere itself up for but some other replace, confidently faster than nearest. 

Upon settling into the SEL Top rate R-Series’s quilted leather-based seats – they’re truly relatively great and stylish taking a look – the focus is the widescreen 12-inch infotainment machine perched on and nearly floating at the sprint. Not like the earliest variations of the program, it’s fast as well up and react. It does now not, on the other hand, get the modern device, house display screen and completely docked band of environment controls on the backside and customizable menu shortcuts at the lead that you just’ll to find within the ID.4. You’ll be able to see the too much between the 2 underneath, with the Atlas at the left and 2024 ID.4 at the proper. 

I’d argue, on the other hand, that the best sin used to be the darned environment and radio controls built-in into the panel underneath that display screen. They aren’t illuminated, that means you’ll be able to’t if truth be told see what you’re meant to run your finger over at night time. The ID.4, up to date 2025 GTI and modern ID.7 get the ones illuminated, however that doesn’t exchange the truth that seeking to exchange the temperature cabin or briefly utility the slider quantity is a plenty ache even supposing you’ll be able to see them. It’s nonetheless in lieu adversarial to the person to manufacture them slide their finger backward and forward on a tiny contact goal, particularly presen transferring. You’ll briefly to find unintentional inputs occur way more incessantly than they will have to. Even the scorching and cooled seat controls aren’t superb, as they’re tucked into the bottom-left portion of the touchscreen (now not useful for the passenger) always and have a tendency to lag while you to begin with get started the auto up. This used to be corrected with the up to date machine, however once more, the Atlas doesn’t have that. 

Oh, and in the event you had been questioning the place the defrost buttons had been, take a look at the headlight contact controls (as a result of route they’re) to the left of the steerage wheel. Once more, that placement is solely unnecessarily tricky to search out, particularly in the event you’re using and wish to briefly get defrost energy. Making it a marginally regulate calls for the driving force to bodily take a look at the regulate panel to press it for concern of brushing up towards the headlight regulate – I may just nearly forgive this placement if it had been a button that used to be simply discovered by means of contact rejected, however as-is, negative thank you. Oh, and in the event you’re additionally questioning if those defrost controls go again to the place they belong within the up to date infotainment machine, they don’t.

The Atlas’ modern middle console is a minimum of a large improve in design. Getting rid of the elevated tools lever for a tiny toggle nub has ended in a couple of usability improvements, maximum particularly the cavernous deposit underneath the floating console. It appears absolute best for a handbag, a tiny takeout form or any selection of pieces you may now not need aviation across the automotive. The alternative facilities reminiscent of a store wi-fi telephone charger, fast-charging USB-C ports (45-watt) and sizable cupholders are all superb to look, too. Sadly, the dimension slightly below the touchscreen that used to be up to now impaired for handy knobs and buttons is now only for breeze vents and fast toggle contact controls to deliver up menus at the touchscreen.

Talking of breeze vents, despite the fact that, the Atlas’ facet vents up entrance certain are a neat improve, too. They’re dual-stacked vents that help you direct breeze to a couple of places, say one towards the window and one at your face, or no matter configuration you could choose. 

Some other large sure is the steerage wheel, which is the course-correcting replace the Atlas did get – in truth, VW have shyed away from the illness altogether, because the Atlas by no means presented VW’s touch-capacitive steerage wheel controls. It includes a enough quantity of actual buttons which are each simple to utility by means of really feel and manufacture up for probably the most infotainment regulate’s downsides. For instance, any proprietor will most likely to find themselves solely the use of steerage wheel controls for quantity and in the hunt for functions. The controls for the ten.25-inch virtual aggregate are discovered at the wheel, too, and presen they pluck a 2nd to be told, it’s easy-going while you get the cling of them. I truly just like the customization VW permits for each its gauges and the infotainment machine, too – being in a position to make a choice from what appears like limitless color subject matters is one thing we will have to see extra incessantly now that the majority new cars are stuffed with a minimum of two large monitors.

For fanatics of fake timber scale down, that’s long past, nevertheless it’s been changed with a complicated back-lit piece (above, backside proper) at the sprint that truly flickers at night time. All of the piano dim plastic splashed round each the middle console and around the sprint is an actual downer for long-term sturdiness, but if blank, it does manufacture for a brightness glance and lovely photos.

Interfaces apart, the Atlas Cross Sport remains to be the funky and useful SUV it used to be prior to the refresh. That suggests it has an exorbitantly immense rear seat with a to hand recline serve as for even higher relief. The totally loaded style I had even got here with scorching rear seats, and the dim/white two-tone leather-based is a pretty combo when blended with the Aurora Crimson Metal paint of this tester. There’s an inner possibility with blue accents at the seats (revealed above, lead row) that’d be a excellent glance when blended with the blue paint possibility, too.

That duality of fine and malicious sums up the Atlas Pass Recreation’s inner in a nutshell, too. There’s a accumulation of fine baked into the modern design, however there’s simply as a lot frustration to damage what is usually a in lieu attractive possibility. Its external appears splendid; the turbo-four-cylinder is powerful, and it’s typically a pleasing SUV to power round. Sadly, its inner regulate problems may just really well be deal-breakers, simply as they had been for the ID.4. It kind of feels most likely that the Atlas replace used to be neatly beneath manner as soon as Volkswagen initiation listening to such robust court cases concerning the modern inner path, let rejected as soon as it got here up with the primary stream of medications. Nonetheless, it’s nonetheless disappointing that the 2024 Atlas displays up and is not just worse in many ways than the pre-refresh model, however a number of alternative 2024 VWs as neatly. 

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