Arteon – All about car

2019 Volkswagen Arteon ExeclineJil McIntosh OVERVIEW A hatchback sedan with crossover capability PROSGood looks, tons of cargo and passenger space CONSSome downscale interior bits VALUE FOR MONEYFeels a bit pricey, but you do get a lot WHAT TO CHANGE?Give it more steering weight and feel HOW TO SPEC IT?I’d get it as-is, without options Sedans are getting lost in the shuffle to crossovers and sport-utilities, but even among sedans, theres a subset of comfortable and nice-to-drive four-doors that, for whatever reason, seldom end up on the radar. These include oft-overlooked models like Toyota’s Avalon and Chevrolets outgoing Impala. The Volkswagen Arteon will likely end up on that list, too, and thats a shame because it has a lot going for it.Its handsome, roomy, and comfortable, but thats no longer enough to make it in a world where sport-utes dominate the roads. But if youre still into sedans, its definitely worth a look.An all-new model for 2019, the Arteon debuts at the top of VWs sedan lineup, replacing the discontinued CC. It comes only in top-level Execline trim, at $47,995. My tester was further optioned with a $2,095 Driver Assistance Package that added park assist, lane-keeping assist, and a 360-degree camera, as well as the $2,995 R-Line appearance package, bringing it to $53,085 before freight and taxes. Under the hood is a turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine churning out 268 horsepower and 258 lb.-ft. of torque, mated to an eight-speed automatic transmission which comes with a real shifter, not one of those awful push-pull-heres-a-button-for-Park electronic monstrosities. American buyers can get the Arteon in front-wheel drive, but Canadian models are all-wheel.The engine can be a bit rough at idle, but it accelerates smoothly and with no turbo lag. It tucks into corners very well, but Id like to have a much closer relationship with the car. The steering is too light, and I felt disconnected from it. I dont want to have to push the car around, but I like to feel like I have more input into what its doing. That said, though, the ride is luxury-smooth even in Sport mode, in keeping with the Arteons top-of-the-heap position in the lineup.It may look like a conventional sedan, but the Arteon is actually a hatchback, with a massive amount of cargo space that can be lengthened even more by folding the seats or by opening the central pass-through. But even with so much of the Arteons footprint dedicated to luggage and groceries, theres a very generous amount of legroom and headroom, despite the sloping roofline, for rear-seat passengers. My only issue is with the rear head restraints, which chew up far too much visibility out the back. Its time for Volkswagen to trade in the tombstone-style design it prefers, in favour of restraints that can be folded or pushed down when theyre not required for rear-passenger duty.Theres plenty of room in the front as well, and the chairs are typically German, meaning that they may seem a bit too firm when you first get in, but you soon discover theyre so supportive, they keep your spine happy even on long drives. Both the front and rear seats are heated, the front ones are ventilated as well, and the driver gets a massage function.The features list is quite long as it should be for the price and includes such items as adaptive cruise control with stop-and-go, a power liftgate, adaptive LED headlamps, a panoramic sunroof, an auto-dimming mirror, leather upholstery, and three-zone automatic climate control. The eight-inch touchscreen has a proximity sensor that brings up the control icons as your hand gets close; it includes navigation and satellite radio, and sends the music out through a 700-watt sound system with ten speakers and a subwoofer.But for all that, and interior styling that echoes the exteriors horizontal chrome lines and is just as handsome, some of the cabin feels more mainstream than upper-end. Theres a lot of hard, nubbly plastic where soft-touch surfaces would make much more of an impression. No, you didnt move up to an Audi where everything would have been more luxurious, but then again, you have shelled out almost 50-grand for this Volkswagen. Ive also never quite clicked in to why Volkswagen insists on putting spacers into the plastic panels surrounding the shifter. Some of the little panels are buttons, operating features like the heated steering wheel and disabling the automatic start/stop system. But the lower ones are always blank, and it always looks like they would have been real buttons if only youd ponied up for more options. Which you cant, because you already have everything there is to get, but thats how it looks.But that said, I really like the simplicity of the controls, where climate functions are handled by dials and buttons, as they should be. You also use hard buttons to pull up the centre screen menus, and once youre in them, theyre intuitive and easy to
Origin: Car Review: 2019 Volkswagen Arteon

2019 Volkswagen ArteonBrian Harper / Driving Santa Barbara, Calif. — There is no question Volkswagen’s new all-wheel-drive Arteon fastback is the replacement for the now-departed CC (nee Passat CC). Equally, there is no question the fully contented, mid-size four-door is a far more complete car than the CC ever was, its $47,995 price tag indicative of flagship status. What can be questioned is timing, a valid criticism in that a concept version of the Arteon was shown three years ago at the 2016 Geneva motor show. Yes, the production version’s introduction to North America was deferred about a year, supposedly due to delays in getting emissions certification. But, with consumers buying more and more crossovers at the expense of mid-size and full-size sedan sales — this resultant shift causing the Detroit automakers to cull their lineups — what expectations does VW have for this car, one it is taking up-market into territory occupied by nameplates with a stronger upscale presence? The pragmatic answer from VW Canada is that it will sell as many as can be shipped from Germany, which, considering the Arteon is a low-volume vehicle, will likely be well under 1,000 units. While it is impossible to predict its success in the marketplace, one can at least make a reasonable determination as to the Arteon’s suitability as an alternative to a $40,000 to $50,000 mid-size crossover, or as competition to other similar priced, mid-sized all-wheel-drive cars. This is a diverse lot that includes the Kia Stinger, Acura TLX and Infiniti Q50 — the main rivals, according to Kai Oltmanns, Arteon project manager for VW — but could also include more traditional fare such as the Dodge Charger, Ford Taurus (while inventory lasts), Cadillac CTS (ditto), Buick Regal GS, Nissan Altima and Subaru Legacy. Certainly the Arteon takes a break from Volkswagen’s traditionally conservative styling convention; its low and wide stance, bold crossbar grille and aerodynamic coupe-like profile make it significantly more distinctive than its CC predecessor. One could even say handsome, to the point that, were the VW logo removed from the grille, it would be easy to confuse the fastback with some more expensive European nameplate. Size-wise, the Arteon’s wheelbase is 127 mm longer than the CC’s, and is blessed with shorter overhangs for a more sporting look. Other dimensions include a 4,862 mm length, 1,872 mm width and 1,435 mm height. So the car has legit credentials as roomy, comfortable-for-four-adults family transportation, with massive luggage space (564 litres with the 60/40-split rear seats up, 1,557 L when they’re folded) and easy access thanks to its hatchback design. Yet the Arteon’s sporting vibe isn’t quite matched under the hood. Unlike the CC, which had a V6 option as well as a 2.0-litre turbo, there is only the latter offered in its replacement. This four-cylinder engine, which makes a decent although by no means class-leading 268 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque, is hooked up to an eight-speed Tiptronic automatic, with power then shuffled to all four wheels via the 4Motion all-wheel-drive system. However, when the car is operating under a relatively low load or coasting, only the front wheels are driven with the rear wheels decoupled to help improve fuel economy. During the course of a day’s drive that had us work our way down from kitschy-but-cute Solvang, through the Santa Ynez Valley to Santa Barbara, on to Ojai and finally a long run up and down the twisting, undulating Maricopa Highway (Hwy. 33), it was the 4Motion drivetrain that proved to be the Arteon’s best feature. With weather ranging from light rain to fog to bright sunshine, the barely traveled Maricopa tested suspension, comfort, throttle response and grip. This last, grip, was phenomenal, the Arteon tracking through copious blind and decreasing radius turns and holding its line as if it was on rails. It was aided by the car’s XDS front and rear cross-differential lock, which operated like a limited-slip differential and helped to compensate for understeer during hard cornering. Not as impressive was the VW dynamic chassis control (DCC) system, which comes with the usual Comfort, Normal and Sport driving programs. Playing with the modes during the drive saw little appreciable difference in feel between the three. Even in Sport, there was a certain remoteness to the steering as well as more body roll in the corners than ideal. To be fair though, DCC now comes with individual control settings for the dampers that allow more comfort or sport to be dialled in. But these adjustments can only be accessed though the individual settings submenu. Considering the depth and breadth of the mid-size four-door segment — still sizeable even with Detroit’s defections — the decision to forego multiple trim levels for one loaded model (with just a few option packages available) is daring. Nevertheless, the $48K Arteon doesn’t skimp on the details.
Origin: First Drive: 2019 Volkswagen Arteon