In the fast lane
Volkswagen’s new Arteon is a sporty sedan that’s just as versatile with or without a caravan on the hitch.
It’s a well-known fact that Volkswagen is a manufacturer that keeps caravanners in mind when it designs its cars. From models like the modest Caddy to the stately Touareg, the vehicles’ onboard computer acknowledges the caravan when you connect the towing lights to the harness. As you’d expect, that’s also the case in the newer models, like the Arteon, which we’re test driving this month.
The Arteon is Volkswagen’s new standard-bearer in terms of luxury sedans. It is, however, much more than just a fancy family vehicle, and although towing a caravan might not be the first idea that pops into your head when you see the Arteon for the first time, you shouldn’t let its appearance fool you. We see how this speedster behaves in front of a caravan.
Spoilt for choice
The Arteon replaces the Passat CC model, and at a quick glance their rear ends look very similar. And when you get in, the dashboard is also pure Passat.
But the Arteon isn’t merely a sporty version of the Passat. Even with all the similarities, it’s a model in its own right.
In terms of towing power, the newton metres of the three models won’t make your decision any easier. Two have a 2 ℓ turbodiesel engine and one a turbopetrol (also 2 ℓ), but all three send 350 Nm to the wheels. That’s quite unusual, especially for the petrol and diesel engines with the same engine capacity. Both the diesel engines deliver 130 kW, with the petrol engine overshadowing both with its 206 kW.
Down to Earth
When you get into the Arteon you can immediately feel that it’s lower than an ordinary sedan. The front and rear doors don’t have door frames over the windows and you have to bend down to not bump your head. On the driver’s seat the top of your head brushes against the roof when the seat adjustment is at its highest.
The dashboard is one big computer, with the Active Info Display in front of you and oversized rear-view camera screen to the left. The small analogue clock at the top in the centre console looks out of place and is exactly the same as in the Passat. In general, manufacturers are moving away from analogue clocks, though this one is more than welcome in the console. >
There are also two USB sockets. The one is at the bottom in the centre console and other one in the space at your left elbow. That’s the closest one if someone on the backseat wants to use it.
Practice your swing
The Arteon has a similar electric swing-away hitch like we saw on the Tiguan, but this test vehicle has an Oris hitch and not one from Westfalia. At first glance they’re identical, except for the socket. It’s also placed diagonally across in the neck of the hitch, but it’s on the right unlike Westfalia’s which is on the left.
The button you have to pull for the hitch to swing out from where it’s hidden behind the bumper is to the right in the boot. When you pull it the hitch lowers halfway and you use your hand to push it into place until it locks. The hitch is certified for a nose weight of 90 kg and its load test – the D-value – is fixed at 11,3 kN. That’s equal to 1 152 kg.
The hitch is also suitable for bike racks, but the total loaded weight on the ball can’t exceed 75 kg and the horizontal distance from the ball must be less than 70 cm.
When you put the Arteon in reverse, the Volkswagen badge in the boot opens like a valve. The camera’s lens is hidden underneath the badge.
Thin and spacious
As you’d expect from a sportier vehicle’s wheels, the sidewall of the 20” tyres (245/35/ R20) gives you about 6 cm’s rubber between the road and the rim. A big plus, however, is the size of the boot. There’s space for Africa and the tailgate opens and closes electrically. The storage space is 102 cm wide and 110 cm long. In the middle of the backseats a narrow section folds flat if you want to pack something long like a pole of 2 m. The opening is 20 cm wide and 36 cm high.
The spare wheel is full-size and is stored underneath the boot’s floor.
The caravan steals half
The Arteon is chock full of electronics, including the Active Info Display and Heads-up Display. The rear-view camera system is also advanced, and besides the fact that you can see what’s going on behind you as you reverse, it also shows a shot directly from above so you can see the coupler and hitch. Round index lines appear then on the screen in half circles around the hitch and you can see exactly how far you still need to reverse to connect with the coupler.
The system of three electronic dials on the centre console draws your eye. It shows the readings of the turbocharger, the G-force that you experience in the Arteon, as well as the kilowatt usage of the car. It’s almost superfluous info that you don’t really need to know. Who cares if the turbo reading is higher or lower than 1 bar, and if the G-force is 0,05? But it’s not every day that you get to see how much power the engine uses to maintain the towing combination at a certain speed.
One way to mess with the aerodynamic shape of the Arteon is to hitch a caravan. Because the Arteon is so low on the ground, an ordinary caravan creates quite a bit of wind resistance. The resistance of course steals some of the towing vehicle’s power and you’re left with less horsepower with which to tow the caravan. This is where the kilowatt meter comes in handy because it shows you the big difference a caravan makes to the car’s power output.
Without a caravan on the highway, on a flat surface and at 100 km/h, the Arteon uses 15 kW. When you accelerate to 120 km/h and maintain that speed, the engine uses 50% more power for only 20 km/h faster. Then the reading is 23 kW. With the caravan hitched, the Arteon uses double the power at the same speed. At 100 km/h, the 15 kW becomes 30 kW and at 120 km/h the engine has to produce 48 kW versus the 23 kW to maintain the speed without the caravan in tow. >