The new VW Arteon has just been launched, and will going forward, be the flagship of the VW range. Arteon means : ‘Art’ describes the fastback’s harmonious lines and emotionality. The ending ‘eon’ identifies it, in the same way as Volkswagen’s top model for the Chinese market, the Phideon, as a premium model.
The Arteon is Volkswagen’s top passenger model and the new Volkswagen gran turismo is produced at the German plant in Emden.

The Arteon is a beautifully designed car, and has great lines and styling, including the exterior and going into the interior. It is a very long car, which gives it a spacious feel, with great head room and leg space..

Exterior Styling.

The Arteon is an athletic looking car, it is wide in the shoulders and has length which make it look sleek. The Arteon is 1,871 mm wide and 1,427 mm tall. The new Arteon is based on the Modular Transverse Matrix (MQB). This configuration naturally creates space. It has a sporty look which is enhanced by the wide wheels used, up to 20cm in some models.

The Arteon is re-interpreting the ‘gran turismo’ concept with its combination of avant-garde design, sporty charisma, great flexibility and generous space. It has a sports car like bonnet, which is the largest bonnet in the VW range. All of the contoured lines of the bonnet are extended to the radiator grille. The grille, in turn, emphasises the significant width of the Arteon in its cross-slats.

There is no Volkswagen radiator grille that is wider or deeper than the one on this gran turismo – it is the ‘face’ of a new Volkswagen generation. The LED lights lend themselves to this wider look. It has a cavernous boot space, and you could literally fit the whole family’s luggage in there.

Interior Design.

The cockpit is a very clean design and seems unclutttered. It has a heads up display on the R-Line model and new infotainment screens- sizes(6.5 to 9.2 inch). The new top system, the Discover Pro, has a tablet-like glass surface. It manages its tasks efficiently, and entirely without analogue buttons. The 9.2-inch display is also equipped with intuitive gesture control.

The leg room and head space is on another level, and you could quite easily stretch outwithin. It has great ambient lighting, and all switches for control are close by, or on the steering wheel. Two interior colour themes (black, dark grey and a combination of dark and light grey) match the range of exterior colours. In the Elegance, you get Titanium Black seats, instrument panel and carpets with a Mistral Grey headliner. In the R-Line, you get Titanium Black seats, instrument panel, carpets and headline

Engines.

Efficient TSI and TDI engines. The new Arteon is launching with two turbocharged direct fuel injection engines. All of the engines have four cylinders. The diesel engine delivers 130kW while the powerful TSI delivers 206kW.

Dual clutch gearbox for all versions. All of the engines are only available with an automated dual clutch gearbox (DSG). The TSI engine also has 4MOTION all-wheel drive as standard. The diesel models have front-wheel drive. Dynamic Chassic Control is standard across the range. This DSG gearbox is tops, and is smooth and has little effort in changing gears.

Diesel engine. The four-cylinder diesel 2.0 TDI with 130kW power output has 350 Nm of torque that is available between 1 608and 3 500rpm. The combined fuel consumption is 5.6 litres per 100 kilometers. The engine is available with a 6-speed DSG transmission. This was my pick of the bunch, as it will be fuel efficient, and for a family, the best option.

Petrol engine. The top of the range petrol engine is the 2.0 TSI with 206kW power output. It has 350 Nm of torque that is available from 1 700 up to
5 600 rpm. The 0-100km/h sprint is achieved in 5.6 seconds and has top speed of 250km/h. The combined fuel consumption is 7.3 litres per 100 kilometres. The 206kW engine is only available with a 7-speed DSG transmission. A little bit too much power for a family saloon methinks, but for the perfomance guys out there it will be welcome.

Safety systems

The new or further developed systems are:
Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) with Front Assist and City Emergency Braking; the latest generation now also integrates speed limits (camera based) and navigation data into its control.

Active Bonnet; In the event of a collision with a pedestrian or cyclist, the active bonnet of the new Arteon is raised in a matter of seconds. This will enable the collision to be less impactful.

Park Pacakage with Area View; Area View makes use of cameras positioned around the vehicle to create a 360 degree birds-eye view on the infotainment system display.
The Arteon comes in two variants-namely the Elegance, and the R-Line.

The Arteon Elegance has the standard specifications:
Exterior:
• Chrome wing mirror caps
• LED tail lights with dynamic indicator light function
• 18-inch ‘Muscat’ alloy wheels
• Continuous chrome trim strip on lower bodywork
• Heated windscreen washer jets
• Chrome strips on side windows
• LED tail lights
• LED headlights with LED daytime running lights
• Alloy wheels (from 18-inch)
• Keyless Go locking system

Interior:
• Aluminium pedals
• Instruments, dashboard and door panels with individualised look and trim in brushed alluminium
• Contrast stitching on seat covers and floor mats
• Seat covers in Nappa leather
• Stainless steel door tread plates, front and rear
• Composition Media infotainment system, including eight loudspeakers, AUX-IN and USB (Apple-compatible)
• 3-zone electronically controlled air conditioning system
• Multifunction steering wheel in leather (with shift paddles on DSG models)
• Driver Alert System
• Progressive steering

The Arteon R-Line, in addition, includes the following features:
Exterior
• ‘C’-signature of the front air intakes in high-gloss black
• 19-inch ‘Montevideo’ alloy wheels
• Heated windscreen washer jets
• Unique R-Line bumpers
• Continuous chrome trim strip on lower bodywork
• Chrome-plated exhaust system tailpipes
• Black boot lid spoiler
• Privacy glass
• Power folding mirrors

Interior
• Leather sports multi-function steering wheel in R-Line design
• Aluminium pedals
• Roof liner in ‘Titanium Black’
• Stainless steel door tread plates front and rear with R-Line logo on front plates
• Nappa Leather/Carbon Style seats with R-Line logo
• Front seat heating

New Arteon Prices (VAT and emissions tax included)

2.0 TDI 130kW Elegance DSG R599 900
2.0 TDI 130 kW R-Line DSG R649 900
2.0 TSI 206kW R-Line 4MOTION DSG R699 900

The new Arteon comes standard with a 5 year/90 000km Maintenance Plan, 3 year/120 000km warranty, 12-year anti-corrosion warranty and space saver spare wheel. Service Interval is 15 000km.

In summing up, the Arteon is a superbly designed car, but it seems a little out of sync with the SUV mania that prevails in this country. It will however, appeal to a man that likes a sedan car, and wants an alternative to the hum drum lower models of the German premium market. It drives well, looks great, has loads of space, has oodles of power and torque, and is fuel efficient. What’s not to like?