The V6 pulled nicely, but the eight-speed displayed some hesitant behavior when called upon to downshift.

SEL and SEL Premium models can tow 5,000 pounds with a factory-installed hitch otherwise, a dealer-installed hitch for other models allows up to 2,000 pounds of towing. Both pair to an eight-speed automatic transmission. Two engines are offered, both available with all-wheel drive: A 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder making 235 horsepower and 258 lb-ft of torque and a 3.6-liter V6 generating 276 horsepower and 266 lb-ft of torque. The digital gauges look nice and are easy to read at a glance, which comes in handy when you’re a math-challenged American needing to keep an eye on your kilometers per hour. The cabin has the usual VW acres of black, with simple controls. There are about 40 cubic feet of cargo space behind the rear seats when they aren’t folded, which is about double that of the three-row with the rear seats up. Inside, headroom is a bit reduced compared to the bigger Atlas, while legroom is increased – by a fair bit for those in the second row. The front bumper sweeps up at the corners, making the face match that of the upcoming, refreshed 2021 Atlas. The front lighting’s so-called “signature” is a bit different, too.

The biggest visual differences are a lowered roofline and a much more angular D-pillar (one that reminds me of the Jeep Grand Cherokee) along the rear hatch. (Full disclosure: Volkswagen flew me to Vancouver, fed and housed me, and had assembled media take part in off-site activities such as bobsledding and skiing. Hence we have the 2020 Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport, which shares its platform with the Atlas (the wheelbases are even the same) but loses about three inches of length and a bit more than two inches of height while offering seating for just five. It takes its three-row crossover, lops off the third row and some rear space, gives it a name that plays off the existing moniker, and puts it out there. What happens to an OEM that may have been caught napping while its competitors race to fill every possible niche with crossovers?

2020 volkswagen atlas