The SUVs Behind a Third of VW's U.S. Sales Debut Together at the LA Auto Show
The three-row Atlas went on sale in October; the five-seat Cross Sport arrives early next year with pricing still unannounced.
Volkswagen's most important American products will share a stage for the first time. The all-new 2027 Atlas and the redesigned 2027 Atlas Cross Sport go on public display together at the 2026 Los Angeles Auto Show, which is open to the public from November 20 to 29. In its show announcement, VW says the two SUVs now make up about a third of its U.S. sales.
The timing is different for each model. The second-generation, three-row Atlas has been on sale since October. The five-seat Cross Sport is due early next year, and Volkswagen still hasn't announced what it will cost.
What buyers are getting
Both SUVs use a new evo5 version of VW's turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder, making 282 hp and 258 lb-ft of torque. That's 13 hp more than before, though torque is down from the old engine's 273 lb-ft. An eight-speed automatic and front-wheel drive are standard, and 4Motion all-wheel drive is available on every trim.
For the three-row Atlas, the extra power came with better fuel economy. The EPA rates the front-drive model at 22 mpg city, 29 highway, and 25 combined, and the all-wheel-drive version at 20/27/23. Both are 2 mpg better in every cycle than the 2026 model. VW has said a hybrid Atlas will come with the mid-cycle refresh, which matters in a class where many Hyundai, Kia, and Toyota hybrids top 30 mpg. That gap shows up clearly in how the three-row hybrids compare.
Safety gets a front center airbag, bringing the total to seven. VW's IQ.Drive suite also gets two upgrades: Travel Assist can now make driver-initiated lane changes, and Emergency Assist can pull the SUV to the shoulder if it senses a medical emergency. We covered how VW's pull-over feature works when it was announced in September. Power liftgate, rear sunshades, and front and rear parking sensors are now standard on every Atlas.
The price of a bigger Atlas
The upgrades cost more. The 2027 Atlas starts at $41,610 plus a $1,525 destination charge, up from the outgoing model's $39,310 base price. The new Atlas is about 2 inches longer than the old one, though the wheelbase is unchanged. The Cross Sport stays on the same MQB Evo hardware but has a raked, coupe-like roofline. It is about half a foot shorter and roughly 2 inches lower than the three-row model.
Both models matter to VW in the U.S. More than 630,000 Atlas SUVs have been sold in the U.S. since 2017, according to the company, along with over 230,000 Cross Sports since 2020. Both are built in Chattanooga, Tennessee, where VW employs about 4,000 people. Volkswagen is also promoting the Atlas through its renewed U.S. Soccer sponsorship.
At the show, the pair will sit on VW's stand in the South Hall of the Los Angeles Convention Center. The stand also ties into Volkswagen's NBCUniversal ad campaign for the Atlas, which features Tina Fey. Cross Sport pricing is the next number to watch before it reaches dealers.
