A work of art This VW has a new identity and looks great, but it also has its flaws on the road

VOLKSWAGEN ARTEON 2.0TDI DSG

WHAT does the name mean? And do you say it Arty-on or Artayon? Well, the answer to the first question is that it simply is the word ‘art’ followed by ‘eon’, to tie it to the Phideon saloon Volkswagen which sells only in China. The Arteon (I’m sticking with Arty-on, by the way) is designed very much with that market in mind, but also with an eye to conquest sales in the European executive car market

So is it enough to make anyone think twice about buying the likes of an Audi A5, a Mercedes C-Class coupé or a 4 Series BMW? My guess is not. Instead, the buyers very likely will be those who might otherwise have looked at the Passat and thought it just a little too common, or at the VW cousin, the Skoda Superb, which it actually matches in most departments, and exceeds in terms of styling.

The Arteon might be viewed as a replacement for the late Passat CC, the coupé derivative that enjoyed limited success, in part because it carried the same name.

Now reimagined from the bottom up and badged with an identity all its own, the Arteon seems to have been freed to be more expressive in terms of design, where the most striking feature is the sleek, lean silhouette.

The rear end too is a triumph, beautifully tapered in all the right places, but the front is divisive. There are so many bars on the grille, running almost the full width of the car, it resembles an aerial photo of a railway stockyard. It’s architectural rather than stylish, and while I admire the audacity of the design, I’m not sure I really warmed to it.

Inside, there’s a bit of an identity crisis too. The fascia and all the knobs and buttons are familiar from the wider VW family, and I imagine anyone looking for a luxury executive car might wonder how much of the premium price was spent on kitting out the cabin.

That said, when you have a touchscreen infotainment as good as the one on offer here, why change it? I also liked the headup display, which is crisp and easy to see, not always the case in daylight driving on other cars fitted with it.

Best of all, VW resisted the temptation to move the temperature and fan controls to the touchscreen and has stuck with radial dials, much easier to use without taking your eyes off the road. If I had my way, these would be compulsory, and touchscreen virtual aircon controls would be outlawed, because they’re so distracting.

There’s also full voice activation via Siri on Apple CarPlay, handy when you want to make a phone call but again don’t need the distraction of having to scroll for the number on the screen.

Another plus comes in the form of the seats, a mixture of cloth and leather. Leather seats are hardwearing and tough, but they can be cold at this time of year, so cloth is my own preference, even when heated seats are available.

And the panoramic sunroof, an optional extra, partly mitigated the gloom of midweek, thankfully. The boot is top class too, with a vast 563 litres on offer. Legroom for rear seat passengers also is excellent and you’ll have no problem shuttling five average-sized adults around in comfort.

My test car came with quality adaptive cruise control. I was in a Ford Fiesta last week and it was slow to accelerate in adaptive cruise mode when I manouevred into the overtaking lane. The Arteon, though, takes off like a rocket all by itself.

All good so far, but there are a few quibbles. The 2.0-litre TDI is not the most refined diesel engine on the road right now, and it can be a little brusque at times, without the refinement of some of the engines in the cars the Arteon competes with. That said, the DSG gearbox is smooth and responsive, and the ride is comfortable, even on the rural back roads around my home.

I liked the Arteon, but I didn’t love it, and it feels pricey for what’s on offer. My test car clocked in at €52,497, which is not exactly loose change, and I’m sure it’s worth it. In compensation of sorts, though, it is cheap to tax and run, with low emissions and good consumption of just 4.4 litres in the combined urban/extra-urban cycle.

Decent enough on the road, it’s still at its best in the driveway, where the low, lean profile is rather beautiful, and exciting too.