In addition to their cavernous interiors, now trimmed in richer materials, powerful, efficient turbocharged four-cylinder engine, the facelifted three-row 2024 Volkswagen Atlas and its two-row Atlas Cross Sport equivalent have another reason to recommend them: The pair have now been awarded Top Safety Pick+ designations by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.
To qualify as a Top Safety Pick+, a vehicle must earn good ratings in a side impact crash test and three different frontal crashes. IIHS rates crash-test performance and static vehicle attributes such as headlight performance on a scale of poor, marginal, acceptable or good. It also groups active-safety systems into three tiers: basic, advanced and superior. Vehicles’ standard headlights have to rank at least acceptable to qualify as a Top Safety Pick+, and a front crash prevention system that scores advanced or superior in both day- and nighttime pedestrian detection tests must be available as an option.
The standard and optional headlights for both SUVs earned good ratings in the agency’s evaluations, and their standard equipment includes a forward collision warning system that netted advanced ratings in both tests.
The Atlas is a strong contender in a competitive class and, as IIHS has shown, a safe space to be in a chaotic world.
