Crossovers and SUVs is perhaps the recent-ticket item today, but sedans nonetheless hold an extremely vital part in the automotive landscape. Mid-measurement sedans, particularly, proceed to publish impressive gross sales numbers. Back for the 2011 model yr, Volkswagen determined it wanted an even bigger slice of the American pie, so it launched a model of its in style Passat build especially for the U.S. A refresh for 2016 introduced sharpened body traces, a more chiseled face, and a barely reworked inside. Now, a 12 months later, the 2017 Passat soldiers on with nary a change. But, is this mid-dimension sedan got what it takes to rival the phase stalwarts, namely the Toyota Camry and Honda Accord? To seek out out, I not too long ago spent three weeks behind the wheel of a Passat R-Line. What’s the R-Line, you ask? It boils right down to a dolled-up model of the bottom Passat. It comes with larger wheels, a more up-scale front fascia, and the addition of Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Better but, the swankier trim doesn’t include a large price tag. 23,875. And thanks to its 1.8-liter turbocharged four-cylinder and FWD, it’s frugal at the pump, too, returning an EPA-estimated 34 mpg on the freeway. Nevertheless, both the Camry and Accord are completely new for 2018 and might be stiff competition for this Tennessee-constructed automotive with German roots.
Even as it hits the United States, the Volkswagen Arteon already has received awards for its distinctive style. A blend of 4-door sedan, hatchback and sport-automotive cues, the Arteon appears like no different car on the highway, and its role because the flagship of Volkswagen in America suggests where the brand’s future designs will evolve. There could also be no more challenging job in the automotive world than designing a automobile. It’s not just taking a blueprint of a chassis from engineers and making it look pretty. It requires blending art, customer tastes and societal cues - and anticipating how the ultimate consequence will resonate years into the longer term. Bold yet timeless design has been one of Volkswagen’s strengths for decades and, because the Arteon exhibits, will stay one for years to come back. Yet even automobile consultants wrestle typically to say what precisely it is that makes one car attractive and another … not a lot.
A-Line: If you traced a vehicle’s silhouette from front to rear, you’d have the A-line, or essential profile. This line often defines your complete character of a automotive, and some millimeters here and there can imply the distinction between sleek or dull. Beltline: The horizontal line that divides the sheetmetal from the glass in a automobile. Just as the next or decrease beltline on a human physique drastically alters a person’s look, the height of a vehicle’s beltline can make it look sporty and menacing or welcoming and airy. In the Arteon, the beltline is balanced for a classical really feel. Character Line: The creases working horizontally alongside the side of the automobile that give it a visual definition. “We have a line,” says Klaus Bischoff, Volkswagen Head of Design, “that runs through your entire automobile and brings the amount of the Arteon even nearer to the ground. Fastback: The automotive body time period dates back to before World War II, when automakers first started optimizing aerodynamics.
Long roofs that slope down to a car’s trunk present several aerodynamic benefits, and ultimately such profiles have been known as fastbacks. The fastback shape of the Arteon offers it a dynamic and elegant look amongst midsize sedans. Flitzer: The German time period for the aspect badge on Volkswagens the place the entrance door line meets the fender. Greenhouse / Day Light Opening (DLO): The form and total area of the glass round a passenger compartment in a vehicle. Owners usually favor open, airy greenhouses, however a lot glass could make for awkward exterior design. Sports automobiles typically have the smallest DLOs that emphasize performance at the expense of visibility. The very best designs offer a balance between extremes, whereas panoramic sunroofs such because the one within the Arteon, add a further dimension. Joint Line: Any place on a automobile the place two body panels meet. Joint strains are not often the centerpiece of a vehicle’s design, however they can add or detract enormously from the general impression. The joint line the place the hood of the Arteon meets the front wheelarch exhibits how graceful such seams could be.
