ELEGANT COMFORT
Latest Arteon faces tough competition
When I first saw the images of the Arteon, I wasn’t particularly enamoured as it looked a bit like the Passat and a lot like the discontinued CC.
My perception changed a bit when I saw the car in the metal, as the Arteon’s curvaceous lines and more sporty front make it visually more appealing than the aforementioned models.
One thing I noticed was its strong resemblance to the Audi A5 Sportback and, from some angles, the Audi A7, albeit a bit smaller.
This doesn’t come as a surprise because the cars are practically cousins within the VW Group.
The Arteon is not a head turner, and that is not necessarily a bad thing – but it has presence.
At the media presentation at Zwartkops Raceway recently, the VW marketing team went to great lengths to emphasise that this car is not the CC’s replacement but a new product offering from VW, from the ground up.
The idea is one gets introduced to the brand with the Polo Vivo, then you graduate to the high-performance GTi and then once you mellow as an adult, the Arteon is the car for you.
The Arteon is 4.862mm long, 1.871mm wide and 1.427mm high, which gives occupants ample space, especially when sitting at the back.
It is no limousine by any measure but the back is comfy, with enough legroom.
It is no doubt an elegant car and feels premium but it is going up against some very tough competition in this segment.
Its German counterparts are incredibly popular and it will take some serious marketing to convince buyers to choose the Arteon.
In terms of exterior design, I especially like the daytime running lights integrating seamlessly into the grille. This gives it a more aggressive stance.
The Arteon comes in three derivatives, with 2.0l TDI or petrol TSI engines.
The entry-level TDI Elegance pushes out a respectable 130kW and 350Nm through a six-speed DSG gearbox.
That 130kW in the Elegance was palpable around the track as the car wouldn’t come out of the corners fast enough which helped me as I familiarised myself with the track.
The fuel consumption of this trim is a claimed 5.6l/100km.
Then we moved up to the flagship petrol derivative R-line 4Motion, which produces a decent 206kW and 350Nm of torque, mated to a seven-speed DSG transmission.
In this guise, I could imme- diately feel the difference.
It is not a sports car but it was faster and more grippier around the track due to its allwheel drive system.
My greatest gripe with the flagship was the perceptible turbo lag. You put your foot down and seconds pass before the turbo kicks in and then the car starts moving.
The strict European regulaThe
‘ I especially like the daytime running lights integrating seamlessly into the grille’
tions on emissions are being felt and I hope this won’t harm the high-performance cars from VW.
The Arteon has some impressive safety features that come standard in the rangetopping R-line, like adaptive cruise control with front assist and city emergency braking.
The Active Bonnet is activated during a pedestrian or cyclist impact, with the bonnet raising up in a matter of seconds by up to 60mm, providing a cushion for the head.
The interior is quite a comfortable space to be in and the speedometer cluster, borrowed from other VW Group cousins, is space-age, with the Active Info Display, standard on the Rline, featuring the navigation and other information.
The tablet-like infotainment system, Design Pro, with intuitive gesture control makes it easier to navigate.
It has a generous boot space of 563l and when the rear seats are folded, it increases to a staggering 1.557l.
In case your hands are full carrying luggage, the boot can be opened by moving your foot under the car.
The VW Arteon R-Line is already on sale and retails for R699 900. – BDLive