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The Volkswagen Arteon has replaced both the CC and latterly the Passat from the Volkswagen range which is why, at a first glance, it would be easy to mistake it for either model if you'd been away from the brand for any length of time. It competes directly with other models in the coupe class such as the Mercedes C Class, the BMW 4 Series Gran Coupe, or the Audi A5 Sportback and definitely holds its own when you look at the design and tech across the range.
Although there has been a shift towards lower emission options for new cars across the industry, Volkswagen are still currently offering a large selection of petrol and diesel engines for the Arteon range. There's also a plug-in hybrid offering for those who want power without a high CO2 contribution.
The Volkswagen Arteon was given an update in 2020 which introduced the Arteon R, the Shooting Brake models, the plug-in hybrid option, and updated the two screens inside the car. The dash upgraded to the current 10.25" fully digital instrument panel and the infotainment system is now housed in an 8" touch screen.
The new Arteon retains the look of the Volkswagen family with its narrow headlights and wide grill but still manages to be uniquely itself with the GTE styled bumpers and the rear side exhaust tailpipe.
The interior of the Volkswagen Arteon is sleek and contemporary regardless of the trim level, making it feel luxurious from the moment you unlock the doors.
A choice of all black or cream and grey fabric for the Elegance or the black and blue R styled seats give the interior an elevated look, especially when the driver is faced with the large fully digital dash. All of the buttons on both the steering wheel and the centre console are touch sensitive, giving an opulent feel to using any of the controls, and the remainder of the console is neat and not overcrowded. Connect your phone to use Android Auto or Apple Carplay for an integrated phone experience.
At every trim level you get heated front seats and the Driver's seat has 6-way electric adjustment and an ergoComfort seat with electrically adjustable backrest. The front passenger seat also has power adjustable lumbar support making it an incredibly comfortable place to be on a long journey. All models also have adaptive cruise control
As with most coupe cars, the front and rear seats in the Arteon both have ample headroom at 1008mm and 940mm respectively and a little bit more in the Shooting Brake models at 1019mm and 982mm respectively. Plenty of room for five adults to comfortably sit and travel together.
If you're looking for executive cars with lots of power, then the Arteon range has plenty of options. Aside from that, there's also the option for the plug-in hybrid which gives you 218PS but brings the CO2 emissions right down to approximately 26g/km compared to 156g/km with the 2.0 TSI petrol engines.
The other obvious draw that the Volkswagen Arteon has is the amount of boot space available. The coupe has an enormous 563 litre capacity, a whole 90 litres more than the BMW 4 Series without even considering folding the seats down. Swap for the shooting brake model and you gain another 27 litres for a grand total of 590 litres. This makes executive cars like the Volkswagen Arteon a popular choice for a family car and a great alternative to the space that a large SUV can offer.
As a high spec performance car, the Volkswagen Arteon has several engine options across the range, which can be a little confusing, but really all you need to decide is which fuel type you want and your desired power.
The Elegance has 3 options options: a 2.0 litre TSI 190PS seven speed DSG petrol engine, a 2.0 litre TDI 150PS seven speed DSG diesel engine, and a 1.4 litre TSI 218PS 6 speed DSG plug in hybrid engine. No fully electric version, with the Volkswagen ID.5 range likely filling this space.
The R-Line has the above engine options but also adds a 1.5 litre TSI EVO 150PS petrol engine and two 2.0 litre diesel 200PS seven speed DSGs; one with front wheel drive and one with all wheel drive.
The most powerful offering is reserved for the Volkswagen Arteon R. It comes in only one option, a 2.0 litre TSI petrol engine with a seven speed automatic gearbox, all wheel drive, and an enormous 320PS. Very fitting for the car that Volkswagen say "delivers pure power".
The Shooting Brake Arteon models have the same options as the normal Arteon.
The Elegance is the entry level Volkswagen Arteon but is anything but basic. In the huge list of features included with the model, a few highlights include: 18" alloy wheels automatic headlight control, LED headlights, separate LED daytime running lights, heated windscreen washer jets, 6 way electronic driver seat adjustment, 10.25" high resolution Digital Cockpit Pro, and a 3 zone 'Air Care Climatronic' air conditioning system.
When you upgrade to the Volkswagen Arteon R-Line, you additionally get 19" alloys, interior ambient lighting with 30 colour options, a panoramic sunroof which tilts and slides, tinted rear windows, and a leather-wrapped multi-function sports steering wheel with touch control and with aluminium inserts and R-Line logo.
Not to be confused with the previous R-Line, the Arteon R is the pinnacle of the range. With 19" black alloy wheels, front brake discs with blue calipers and the 'R' logo, massage function in the two front seats, all wheel drive, and a leather covered multifunction sports steering wheel with touch control and shifting paddles, it is an ultra-luxurious sports option.
Euro NCAP have given the Volkswagen Arteon a 5 star rating, with it scoring 96% for adult occupants and 85% children. This outperforms the Audi A5 Sportback and the Mercedes C Class by several percent. It's safety features like the front assist system and the lane assist system that meant that it scored highly in the safety assist categories too and is the top performer in the pedestrian category for Executive cars.
For piece of mind, as with all Volkswagen cars, the Arteon comes with a 3 year or 60,000 mile manufacturers warranty with the option to extend the cover further once this runs out. If you opt for the plug-in hybrid option, the battery is covered for up to 8 years or 100,000 miles for any defects with the materials or workmanship which is great for piece of mind if it's the first time you've ventured into any type of electric option.
The Volkswagen Arteon is well placed against competitors such as the Audi A5, or the BMW 4 Series Gran Coupe in terms of its price tag, and for the equipment that you get it's justifiable too.
Across the trim levels, the R-Line is the lowest priced model at £38255 when buying with the standard 2.0 litre TSI engine. The mid priced is the Elegance at £39900, although this is actually the classed as the entry level trim by Volkswagen. The top trim level for the Arteon is the R and it begins at £55210.
These are just the base prices for each model. There are a large selection of engines, aesthetic choices, and factory options that can be added and increases the price, making it easy to have some models costing over £60,000 if you're looking at having a lot of the extras.
As mentioned prior, the big pull for the Shooting Brake model is the additional 27 litres of boot space. Rather than making the two models drastically different, Volkswagen have made the space available virtually the only choice you have to make if you are between the two.
All trim levels and engine options are the same on the Shooting Brake as they are on the normal Arteon, aside from on the R-Line and R trims where the sliding and tilting panoramic sunroof from the Arteon has an added rear panoramic sunroof. This is presumably to compliment the rear windscreen size being reduced to house the additional boot space that the Shooting Brake model offers.
The Volkswagen Arteon is a big competitor for its premium rivals such as the BMW 4 Series Gran Coupe or the Audi A5 Sportback.
It's an incredibly well equipped executive car with a contemporary feel from the moment you slide into the car thanks to the array of standard features equipped and the number of additional options you can choose to make the car feel more like yours.
It's a great alternative to an SUV or a more traditional family car by giving you all of the space without having to compromise on style or technology.
