The 2019 Volkswagen Arteon seems to be futuristic, however it feels a callback to the old fashioned idea of a flagship sedan that exists just because. Built with aesthetic-first mentality, it’s not for everyone. But should you want a low-key glamorous, semi-upscale VW-badged cruiser to modestly stand out in, that is the four-door for you. If you’re seeking an objectively compelling case to get an Arteon, you is perhaps missing the point. Not in contrast to the Passat CC and, in some ways, even the Phaeton earlier than that, the VW Arteon already seems like a automotive we’re going to understand seeing in site visitors however by no means actually understand. That mentioned, today’s flagship Volkswagen is a lot more practical and person-pleasant than the others I just mentioned, which it manages to do effectively additionally looking higher. The Arteon is sort of a Passat with a stronger pulse. Or, an Audi with rather less obvious angle. If this had been 2008, we'd name it a “near-luxury” automotive, which is how folks were classifying some of the more entry-degree Acuras and Infinitis and such back then. If a GTI is a gently leveled-up hatchback, it’s truthful to name the Arteon an equivalently made-cooler model of the humble sedan.
Though technically, it’s a fastback, since the rear glass lifts with the trunk. VW’s folks referred to as out its rivals because the Infiniti Q50, Acura TLX, Nissan Maxima and Kia Stinger. The Mazda 6 was not talked about, in all probability as a result of the very best model of that car lists below the price of the base Arteon. But I can’t consider a better equal competitor. The Arteon is more technologically advanced than Mazda’s govt express, but the 6 feels just as good on the road and has the same refined elegance, albeit with a bit more annoying road noise. 46,210 earlier than you add choices like VW branded ski racks and such.0-liter turbocharged 4, which the corporate claims can generate 268 horsepower and 258 lb-ft of torque paired to an eight-velocity automated with front or all-wheel drive. No fancy twin-clutch DSG for this factor in America. That AWD system, which VW calls 4Motion, runs 90 % front-drive and 10 percent rear-drive by default. So it behaves like a front driver more often than not, but can ship more energy aft-ward if the car feels itself slipping.
The car’s XDS Cross Differential System can add a contact of braking to your inside wheels in turns, which is imagined to successfully tighten the automobile around bends. The Arteon is 191.Four inches long, 73.7 inches huge and weighs 3,854 pounds with all-wheel drive. That makes it only a smidge (about two inches) longer than its spiritual predecessor, the CC, or roughly the identical size as today’s Toyota Camry. Probably the most frugal two-wheel drive variants are supposed to be able to get 22 mpg in town and 31 on the freeway. Those numbers drop to 20 and 27 respectively when you order 4Motion all-wheel drive. So a gentle driver in the heavier model should be able to get about 470 miles out of the Arteon’s 17.4-gallon gas tank, however you'll have to fill that with premium high-octane gasoline for optimum performance. Like, say, ping-ponging off a guardrail and into another automobile.
I am pleased to report I didn’t have to check the system, but I do like the concept of it. It’s exhausting to assist being seduced by the Arteon’s aura as you stride up to a freshly washed one and slide inside. The body is easy and sleek in a way that appears extremely pleasing with out being in your face about it. The cockpit is equally elegant and concurrently unassuming, even if the supplies can’t fairly provide luxurious-car ranges of haptic satisfaction. Undecided what’s up with that plastic analog clock in the middle of the dashboard, although. Looks like something you’d find on the nightstand of a very nice German lodge in 1995. Which, I don’t mind, but appears just a little incongruous. High-decision and highly customizable, the gauge cluster in the better Arteon trims can show you a variety of gauges and pieces of data however the coolest and most helpful mode is when the whole thing turns into a map. The Arteon’s not self-driving, but its navigation system dominating so much of the show does make it really feel like the car’s doing a lot of the piloting. You’re just steering the factor to obey the robotic reading you flip-by-flip instructions.
