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VW moves upmarket with the luxurious new Arteon

VW Arteon front e1502717032247
The new VW Arteon aims to bring added luxury to the VW stable

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14 August 2017

  • Luxurious Arteon is new Volkswagen flagship
  • Contemporary design and state of the art technology are standard
  • Initial choice of one petrol and two diesel engines with more to follow
  • Two highly specified trim levels available
  • VW Arteon is available to order now from £34,305

 

CHOOSING a luxurious company car just got a little more complicated thanks to the new VW Arteon.

For those not in the know the new Arteon sits above the Passat in the VW range. It’s a large, coupe-like hatchback along the same lines as the Audi A5 and BMW Gran Coupe and promises “An avant-garde gran turismo with svelte fastback styling”.

At least that’s what the blurb says.

A lot of time has been spent in the wind tunnel with the new VW Arteon so it boasts excellent aerodynamics and even manages to produce a bit of downforce to aid stability and cornering. The upshot of all this aerodynamic fettling is, apart from improved aerodynamics, a rather sleek and elegant car. In terms of looks VW have done an excellent job.

New Volkswagen Arteon
The other side looks just as good

The idea behind the Arteon is to bring more space and functionality to the VW range. Designed to transport five people in comfort the Arteon is longer and wider than the Passat – it’s almost five metres long to be precise – so the extra space box should be ticked quite easily. Longer cars inevitably have bigger boots and more passenger space by default.

It’s also stuffed full of technology. Initially available in two trim levels, Elegance and R-Line, the new VW Arteon features SatNav, eight-inch touchscreen, and smartphone connectivity as standard. You also get LED lights all round, leather upholstery, and a raft of safety and assistance features including adaptive cruise control, emergency brake assist, and driver fatigue warning systems.

The list of optional equipment is equally impressive. You can upgrade the infotainment system to a nine-inch, gesture control model, add a panoramic roof and massaging seats, and even a heated steering wheel. VW have clearly aimed for an all-singing, all-dancing theme.

New Volkswagen Arteon
Also available in right hand drive

Under the bonnet there is a little less choice but that is hopefully a temporary situation. If you wanted you could order a new VW Arteon today but you would only be able to choose from three of the planned engine options.

As it stands the new Arteon comes with either a 280PS 2.0-litre petrol engine or two diesel options. Both are 2.0-litre TDI units, one producing 240PS and the other 150PS. The 280PS petrol and 240PS diesel are both connected to a seven-speed automatic gearbox and boast 4MOTION all-wheel drive as standard. All other models will have front-wheel drive and the option of a six-speed manual gearbox.

There are no figures for the full range of engines as yet but VW has said that the 280PS petrol version will be capable of hitting 60mph in around five seconds while the less powerful 150PS diesel can achieve 62mpg. Official CO2 figures suggest the initial diesel engines will range from 116g/km to 152g/km depending on the model. The more powerful petrol engine should return around 164g/km.

The current range of engine options seems to be a direct choice between power or economy. Fine for now but with rivals capable of offering both it’s likely VW will have to provide a wider range of engines before too long.

In terms of price the new VW Arteon fairs quite well with the 2.0-litre TDI Elegance starting from a touch over £34k. The sportier R-Line specification starts at a little over £35k. The relatively frugal CO2 emissions and reasonable price bodes well for company car drivers looking to minimise their tax liabilities.

Whether or not the VW Arteon proves to be a viable alternative to an Audi or BMW remains to be seen.

 

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