SOLVANG, California—Volkswagen finds itself in a little bit of a state of affairs with its new Arteon, as it’s launching the premium-priced sedan into the teeth of a market with a waning appetite for four-doors. The company factors out that the U.S. —2.5 million models in 2018, or more than Germany buys of all vehicle types—which is a fair level. But the very fact stays that the demand for crossovers and SUVs is fierce, and whereas each a five-seat Atlas and a sub-Tiguan model are on the best way, Volkswagen presently solely offers two nameplates in that house. And did we point out the Arteon comes at a premium worth? Those that decide in will discover themselves behind the wheel of a characteristic-laden, dynamically succesful, and drop-useless gorgeous car, nevertheless. 47,705 for a Volkswagen sedan. 36,840; for that quantity, you get adaptive dampers, full LED exterior lighting with projector headlamps, 12-method heated energy front seats, three-zone auto local weather management, satellite radio, proximity entry and begin, and some different goodies.
40,990 SEL, which adds swiveling headlamps, a panoramic sunroof, a totally digital gauge cluster, energy folding mirrors, Nappa leather-based upholstery, navigation, and lively cruise control. 1,800 all-wheel drive for the SE and SEL—AWD is standard on the SEL Premium—and the R-Line package deal. We first drove the Arteon in Europe almost two years in the past, forward of an anticipated launch in 2018, however a backlog in emissions certification delayed the car’s American arrival. Now that it’s headed to dealerships, we drove SEL and SEL Premium examples in and around California’s Santa Ynez Valley, each with all-wheel drive and the R-Line package. Each provided loads of comfort, expertise, and visible wattage, however there was a perceptible distinction in journey high quality and dealing with between the 2. The Arteon affords Comfort, Normal, and Sport settings for its dampers, steering, and powertrain, and the dampers also alter themselves automatically relying on your driving fashion and the state of affairs. Additionally, you may make finer tweaks to the dampers along 12 steps via the Custom menu.
The opposite chassis parts and even the lighting might be custom-made there, too, albeit with far less granularity, to supply the exact setup you want. The Arteon maintains the last setting when the ignition is cycled, which is good. Brake-based torque vectoring retains handling tidy, whereas body lean is nicely controlled in Sport mode; the automotive lists a bit extra when cornering in Comfort and Normal, as one would anticipate. The journey quality on the SEL’s 19-inch wheels goes busy in Sport, with heaves, broken pavement, or high-frequency lumps inducing noticeable wheel patter. That sensation is omnipresent in all settings with the SEL Premium 20-inch package’s barely shorter sidewalls—245/35 versus 245/40; each vehicles wore Continental ProContact TX all-seasons—but we’ll word that we’re talking relatively minor disturbances. The Arteon isn't uncomfortable, and it doesn’t lose its sense of cool when pushed arduous. This isn’t a automotive for going full aggro, however we did word the SEL Premium was more keen to turn-in and appeared to supply a slightly more impartial cornering perspective.
The Arteon is powered by a 2.0-liter four-cylinder just like the outdated CC sedan it roughly replaces, but unlike that car, it’s the only option—so don’t go hunting for a V-6. The turbocharged four makes 268 horsepower and 258 lb-ft of torque and works by way of an Aisin-sourced eight-velocity automated transmission. Europeans get a seven-velocity dual-clutch DSG with this engine—or a six-pace guide with a diesel! —but VW America believes the smoothness of the torque-converter computerized better suits the touring character of the Arteon, and we can’t disagree, even when we’d welcome the DSG’s faster gearswaps to mitigate downshift delays. The powertrain feels stout enough and smooth total, and it does its work principally within the background. Following the lead of the stunning exterior, the interior is crisply designed and features a lot of horizontal traces to emphasize house and width; total, it’s a handsome but not notably distinctive cabin. Unlike the four-place CC, the Arteon accommodates 5 aboard. The entrance seats are comfortable for lengthy hauls and reasonably properly-bolstered for back-road blasts, while rear passengers are handled to positively palatial ranges of legroom.
Headroom back there is sweet, too, for six-footers and below, because the roofline doesn’t begin aggressively diving towards the trailing edge of the trunk until simply forward of the rear glass. The center stack is dominated by a big, excessive-resolution 9.2-inch touchscreen that appeared quick to respond in our limited use and which combines with the Digital Cockpit gauge cluster on SEL and SEL Premium models to supply myriad informational shows. More than ever before, individuals are searching for options that exactly fit their particular tastes in music, television, news, food, and more, and they’re typically prepared to pay a premium to get exactly what they want. If that carries over to the automotive world, the German-built Arteon is effectively placed for regular success. Distinctively styled, possessed of no aspirations for high-volume sales, assembled to a excessive standard, and carefully curated for its target audience, consider it because the artisanal sedan.
