VW Arteon Shooting Brake

ecoty’s not-so-little helper too

FIVE DAYS OF INTENSE DRIVING ON some the most telling roads in the UK – what better way to become acquainted with a car you’ve never driven before, even if that car isn’t one of the ecoty contenders but evo’s Arteon long-termer.

I’ve always admired the styling of the Arteon saloon and think the Shooting Brake is one of the best looking cars in its class. It seems I’m not alone: it received lots of attention when stopping at services on the journey up, with one group of young lads even asking if they could take a photo of it for their social pages, because it was ‘really cool’.

I actually stopped at quite a few services that day, because I couldn’t find a comfortable driving position. I felt like I wanted the seat to go lower than it would and that the base was too firm, so I was continually changing positions to stop my legs from aching.

Once in Scotland, I didn’t have quite such an easy time keeping the test cars in sight as Aston did in the Skoda (see left), but with 187bhp the VW is 58bhp down on the Skoda. The trick, therefore, was to maintain as much momentum as possible – something the Arteon proved highly capable of. The only real hindrance was a lack steering feel, which ultimately limited my level of commitment.

The Arteon is at its happiest, though, when making brisk progress at less than ten-tenths. Setting off from Gairloch at sunrise for the long journey home, cruising past golden lochs and sun-kissed mountains without another car on the road, I knew I’d landed a great car for the job.

Date acquired July 2021 Total mileage 9450 Mileage this month 934 Costs this month £0 mpg this month 37.2