Compare the2023 Land Rover Range Rover VelarVS 2023 Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport

For enhanced safety, the front and rear seat shoulder belts of the Land Rover Range Rover Velar have pretensioners to tighten the seatbelts and eliminate dangerous slack in the event of a collision and force limiters to limit the pressure the belts will exert on the passengers. The Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport doesn’t offer pretensioners for its rear seat belts.

Both the Range Rover Velar and Atlas Cross Sport have child safety locks to prevent children from opening the rear doors. The Range Rover Velar has power child safety locks, allowing the driver to activate and deactivate them from the driver's seat and to know when they're engaged. The Atlas Cross Sport’s child locks have to be individually engaged at each rear door with a manual switch. The driver can’t know the status of the locks without opening the doors and checking them.

To provide maximum traction and stability on all roads, All-Wheel Drive is standard on the Range Rover Velar. But it costs extra on the Atlas Cross Sport.

The Range Rover Velar’s driver alert monitor detects an inattentive driver then sounds a warning and suggests a break. According to the NHTSA, drivers who fall asleep cause about 100,000 crashes and 1500 deaths a year. The Atlas Cross Sport doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

Both the Range Rover Velar and the Atlas Cross Sport have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras and rear cross-path warning.

The Range Rover Velar’s corrosion warranty is unlimited miles longer than the Atlas Cross Sport’s (unlimited vs. 100,000 miles).

The battery on the Range Rover Velar is in the trunk, which protects it from hot underhood temperatures that can degrade battery life. By keeping the Range Rover Velar’s battery 20 to 30 degrees cooler, its life is increased by years. The Atlas Cross Sport’s battery is in the hot engine compartment.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Land Rover vehicles are better in initial quality than Volkswagen vehicles. With 37 fewer problems per 100 vehicles, JD Power ranks Land Rover higher than Volkswagen.

The Range Rover Velar has more powerful engines than the Atlas Cross Sport:

As tested in Consumer Reports the Range Rover Velar P250 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder is faster than the Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport turbo 4 cyl.:

On the EPA test cycle the Range Rover Velar gets better mileage than the Atlas Cross Sport:

Regenerative brakes improve the Range Rover Velar’s fuel efficiency by converting inertia back into energy instead of wasting it. The Atlas Cross Sport doesn’t offer a regenerative braking system.

The Range Rover Velar has 3.1 gallons more fuel capacity than the Atlas Cross Sport (21.7 vs. 18.6 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Land Rover Range Rover Velar higher (7 out of 10) than the Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport (3 to 5). This means the Range Rover Velar produces up to 24.5 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the Atlas Cross Sport every 15,000 miles.

For better stopping power the Range Rover Velar’s brake rotors are larger than those on the Atlas Cross Sport:

The Range Rover Velar stops shorter than the Atlas Cross Sport:

For better traction, the Range Rover Velar has larger standard tires than the Atlas Cross Sport (255/50R20 vs. 245/60R18).

The Range Rover Velar’s standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 55 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Atlas Cross Sport SE’s standard 60 series tires. The Range Rover Velar’s optional tires have a lower 40 series profile than the Atlas Cross Sport SEL Premium R-Line’s 45 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Range Rover Velar has standard 19-inch wheels. Smaller 18-inch wheels are standard on the Atlas Cross Sport SE. The Range Rover Velar’s optional 22-inch wheels are larger than the 21-inch wheels on the Atlas Cross Sport SEL Premium R-Line.

The Range Rover Velar offers an optional full size spare tire so a flat doesn’t interrupt your trip. A full size spare isn’t available on the Atlas Cross Sport; it requires you to depend on a temporary spare, which limits mileage and speed before replacement.

The Range Rover Velar has standard front and rear gas-charged shocks for better control over choppy roads. The Atlas Cross Sport’s suspension doesn’t offer gas-charged shocks.

The Range Rover Velar offers an optional continuously variable suspension system. Using sensors on steering angle, speed and other driver inputs, the shocks soften to improve ride, or stiffen when appropriate to aid handling on tricky roads or off-road. The Atlas Cross Sport’s suspension doesn’t offer adjustable shock absorbers.

The Range Rover Velar has a standard automatic front and rear load leveling suspension to keep ride height level with a heavy load or when towing. The Range Rover Velar’s height leveling suspension allows the driver to raise ride height for better off-road clearance and then lower it again for easier entering and exiting and better on-road handling. The Atlas Cross Sport doesn’t offer a load leveling suspension.

The Range Rover Velar’s front to rear weight distribution is more even (50.1% to 49.9%) than the Atlas Cross Sport’s (57% to 43%). This gives the Range Rover Velar more stable handling and braking.

The Range Rover Velar handles at .82 G’s, while the Atlas Cross Sport 4Motion pulls only .78 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The Range Rover Velar R-Dynamic S executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 1.6 seconds quicker than the Atlas Cross Sport 4Motion (26.2 seconds @ .7 average G’s vs. 27.8 seconds @ .61 average G’s).

For better maneuverability, the Range Rover Velar’s turning circle is 1.3 feet tighter than the Atlas Cross Sport’s (39.2 feet vs. 40.5 feet).

For greater off-road capability the Range Rover Velar has a 1.3 inches greater minimum ground clearance than the Atlas Cross Sport 2.0T (8.4 vs. 7.1 inches), allowing the Range Rover Velar to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged. The Range Rover Velar w/Air Suspension’s minimum ground clearance is 2.4 inches higher than on the Atlas Cross Sport V6 (9.9 vs. 7.5 inches).

The Range Rover Velar is 6.6 inches shorter than the Atlas Cross Sport, making the Range Rover Velar easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The design of the Land Rover Range Rover Velar amounts to more than styling. The Range Rover Velar has an aerodynamic coefficient of drag of .32 Cd. That is lower than the Atlas Cross Sport (.34 to .36) and many sports cars. A more efficient exterior helps keep the interior quieter and helps the Range Rover Velar get better fuel mileage.

Pulling a handle automatically lowers the Range Rover Velar’s optional rear seats, to make changing between passengers and cargo easier. The Atlas Cross Sport doesn’t offer automatic folding seats.

The Range Rover Velar’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the Atlas Cross Sport’s (5291 vs. 2000 pounds). Maximum trailer towing in the Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport is only 5000 pounds. The Range Rover Velar offers up to a 5511 lbs. towing capacity.

Standard Trailer Stability Assist (TSA) on the Range Rover Velar uses the Dynamic Stability Control sensors to detect trailer sway, then uses individual brakes to counteract any swaying and help keep the tow vehicle and trailer steady. The Atlas Cross Sport doesn’t offer electronic trailer sway control.

The engine in the Range Rover Velar is mounted longitudinally (North-South), instead of sideways, as in the Atlas Cross Sport. This makes it easier to service and maintain, because there are no rear spark plugs and the accessory belts are in front.

Unlike the driver-only memory system in the Atlas Cross Sport SEL, the Range Rover Velar has standard driver and passenger memory, so that when drivers switch, the memory setting adjusts the driver’s seat, steering wheel position and outside mirror angle and the front passenger seat also adjusts to the new passenger’s preset preferences.

The Range Rover Velar’s standard Entry and Exit Mode raises the steering wheel, making it easier for the driver to get in and out. The Atlas Cross Sport doesn’t offer an easy entry system.

The Range Rover Velar offers an optional heads-up display that projects speed and navigation instruction readouts in front of the driver’s line of sight, allowing drivers to view information without diverting their eyes from the road. The Atlas Cross Sport doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

To improve rear visibility by keeping the rear window clear, the Range Rover Velar has a standard rear fixed intermittent wiper with a full on position. The rear wiper standard on the Atlas Cross Sport only has an intermittent setting, so in a hard rain visibility isn’t as good.

In poor weather, headlights can lose their effectiveness as grime builds up on their lenses. This can reduce visibility without the driver realizing. The Range Rover Velar offers available headlight washers to keep headlight output high. The Atlas Cross Sport doesn’t offer headlight washers.

The Range Rover Velar’s standard rear and side view mirrors have an automatic dimming feature. These mirrors can be set to automatically darken quickly when headlights shine on them, keeping following vehicles from blinding or distracting the driver. The Atlas Cross Sport has an automatic rear view mirror, but its side mirrors don’t dim.

The Range Rover Velar has a standard dual zone air conditioning allows the driver and front passenger to choose two completely different temperatures so people with different temperature preferences won’t have to compromise. This makes both the driver and front passenger as comfortable as possible. Dual zone air conditioning costs extra on the Atlas Cross Sport.

The Range Rover Velar’s available Park Assist can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, starting, stopping and changing direction automatically. The Atlas Cross Sport SEL Premium R-Line’s automatic parking system requires operating the brakes and transmission to safely park.