A coupe de grace from Volkswagen

VOLKSWAGEN’S Arteon, the replacement for its previous Passat-based CC, has lofty aspirations.

The Arteon is a four-door coupe that offers a smoother, more wellgroomed, yet still very practical alternative to style-conscious compact executive segment models such as Audi’s A5 Sportback and BMW’s 4 Series Gran Coupe.

It’s a design styled with much more individual identity than was the case with the old CC model, a high-class car that doesn’t need a ridiculously expensive boot lid badge to stand out. And it’s a very desirable one indeed.

UK buyers will get the Arteon with a choice of five engines. Diesel devotees choose between a 2WD 2.0 TDI 150PS model with manual or auto transmission and a 4MOTION 2.0 TSI 240PS auto-only variant.

For petrol people, the choice is between a 2WD 1.5 TSI ACT variant with 150PS and manual or auto transmission. There’s also a 190PS 2.0 TSI variant that comes in 190PS form with 2WD or in 280PS form with the 4MOTION set-up.

Under the skin, the Arteon rides on the same MQB platform as Volkswagen’s current Golf, Passat, Tiguan and Touran models. On the road, early reports suggest drivers can expect luxury segment standards of ride, even if the huge optional 20in wheels and low-profile tyres have been specified.

Don’t expect the combination to deliver BMW 4 Series Gran Coupe standards of driver involvement though. As for performance, the 2.0 TSI 280PS petrol model makes 62mph from rest in 5.6s on the way to a restricted top speed of 155mph. For the 240PS diesel, the figures are 6.5s and 152mph.

The CC model the Arteon replaces was very much Passat based. This design though, is very much its own car. Its wheelbase is longer than a Passat, axle tracks are wider, roofline is lower and the driving position is significantly different.

What is familiar from before is the styling approach used, so as with the CC, buyers get frameless doors and a plunging rear roofline, the aesthetics based on the “Sport Coupe Concept” prototype that Volkswagen showed in Geneva in 2015.

The previous CC was priced just below potential rivals such as Audi’s A5 Sportback. This Arteon is priced just above them — or at least it will be at launch. Expect to pay in the £31,000 -£40,000 bracket for the various engines on offer, with most customers likely to opt for the 150PS and 240PS 2.0 TDI models.