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