The Oneida Daily Dispatch (Oneida, NY)
VOLKSWAGEN ARTEON
New sedan shows the global market doesn’t belong to crossovers
Volkswagen’s Arteon has a name that’s difficult to remember, but this sedan certainly isn’t.
Like the Volkswagen CC it replaces, the new-in-02019 Arteon is as attractive as any VW ever sold. Let’s face it, VW makes great products, but when it comes to style and design, they do tend to lag behind.
People here in North America might wonder why Volkswagen is making a brand-new model of sedan in these days of crossovers. But Volkswagen is the world’s largest car manufacturer for a reason. Evidently they see that there may be a crossover fad in America, but elsewhere sedans – especially with big trunks and rear seats – still remain popular. In fact, those two points almost define the upper part of the Chinese car market.
No matter where you are, the Arteon’s design makes a clear statement that this is an attractive car worth having. Like a gran turismo of another era it is classically proportioned, with a very masculine front face. The hood and sides are strongly sculpted to help your eye move rearward noticing that this four-door has a very coupe-like profile. The Arteon’s wheelbase is five inches longer than the CC at 111.7 in. compared to 106.7 in. with the wheels pushed out car is 191.4-in. long, 73.7-in. wide and 56.5-in. tall.
So, there is plenty of room for an interior which completely lacks the normally Spartan interior of German vehicles. The cabin is very chic, with strong horizontal lines and quite a jazzy center console and control screen. Add in that the air ducts seem to fill in all the space along the dash and the look is striking.
Plus, the model I tested even had the ability to fill the instrument panel with a map. There was a fair bit of customization for the information presented, and things did just seem to be where they ought to be, making it easy to become familiar with the car and its controls.
The seats had the native firmness of Volkswagen seats. That doesn’t make them uncomfortable, especially on longer trips, and they certainly work nicely to hold you in place should drivers get too exuberant. The sound system does a nice job of filling the cabin with pleasant sound. Naturally there are all the connectivity and infotainment offerings available.
The infotainment systems offer SD card and five various USB ports, Bluetooth satellite radio and HD Radio. I should mention that HD radio, should you live where there are such stations, is seriously underrated as the sound is really good, usually much better than that provided through a Bluetooth link to your smartphone.
The car has a healthy 27.2 cu. ft. of trunk space. While it doesn’t look like a hatchback, technically it is, so when the rear seats are folded down there is 55 cu.. ft. of carrying space.
The all-new Arteon gets its power from a 2.0-liter turbocharged and direct-injection engine. It generates 268-hp. and 258 lb.- ft. of peak torque through its eight-speed automatic transmission. The frontwheel-drive models have an EPA-estimated fuel economy rating of 22-mpg in city driving and 31-mpg on the highway. All-wheel models get 20-mpg city and 27-mpg highway. The all-wheel drive system is available on SE and SEL models for $1800 but is standard on SEL Premium models.
The cars suspension takes advantage of the rigidity of Volkswagen’s global platform to tune precisely a strut front suspension with a four-link independent rear suspension using gas-filled dampers. This standard adaptive damping system manages the suspension’s rebound and compression rates independently for better response to the road and driving input.
The combination of all this makes for a very drivable car. It seems to like being pushed around but doesn’t pout if driven sanely. The interior is big and comfortable, giving people plenty of space front and rear, which having a trunk big enough to hold four people’s weekend necessities.
The 2020 Volkswagen Arteon is available in four trims: SE, SEL, SEL R-Line, and SEL Premium R-Line. Starting prices starts with the SE at $35,845, the SE 4Motion at $37,645, the SEL beginning at $39,995 with the AWD version at $41,795 and the top-of-the-line SEL Premium beginning life at $44,945.
According to Volkswagen, the
Arteon’s competition include the Acura TLX, Infiniti Q50, Kia Stinger and Nissan Maxima. While it may seem strange for a company to make up the list of competitors with two from the mid-priced segment and two from the entry-luxury level segment, but truth is the price places the Arteon right in the middle, with the lesser models competing downward and the upper trim levels competing above themselves.
I would guess they feel that they can compete, based on what you get for you money in the various trim levels. Whether they are correct, I have to say that I found the Arteon press car I drove to be worthwhile at its mid-$40-grand asking price.