With the Phaeton now gone from the Volkswagen vary, the Arteon is now the flagship 4-door saloon in the vary. It’s properly made, with the Arteon badge spaced in chrome letters on the boot, identical to on the outdated Phaeton. On the entrance, a wide grille emphasises the car’s giant footprint. It feels wider than it is. With transverse-mounted four-cylinder engines, entrance-wheel drive is commonplace, except on the 280PS 2.0 TSI and 240PS 2.0 TDI, which have Volkswagen 4Motion all-wheel drive as standard. The 190 PS 2.Zero TDI can be obtainable with optional 4Motion. Higher powered units have seven-speed DSG automatic transmission, though all 150PS and 190PS fashions have the option of a six-pace stick-shift, as on our 150PS 1.5 TSI test automobile. Arteon is available in simply two trim levels - luxury-targeted Elegance, on take a look at here, or extra sportily styled R-Line. On both trim ranges, a broad range of advanced tools as commonplace.
The most recent Discover 8.0in color touchscreen satnav system is commonplace fit, along with a digital dashboard using a 12.3in display. All Arteons have Bluetooth audio and phone connectivity. Even essentially the most fundamental mannequin has 18in alloy wheels; LED self-levelling headlights; LED tinted rear gentle clusters with dynamic indicators; plush Nappa leather-based upholstery; and three-zone digital air conditioning with computerized air recirculation. Options embrace a head-up show, and a larger 9.2in satnav screen and gesture management. This may be a worthwhile funding, because the touch display is positioned just a little distantly and data entry is just a little fiddly. The interior will probably be acquainted to Passat homeowners, with an analogous dashboard with full-width ventilation grille and central analogue clock. Everything is darkish gray and aluminium - very Germanic. Seats are snug, although they comprise an odd combination of guide and automated capabilities - handbook slide, but automatic again recline. The car is extensive, and feels wide. The interior strains certainly enhance that feeling, however there may be real room for three passengers in the back - something that rear-drive rivals struggle to emulate.
The roof is lower, however the rear doorways are a lot greater than these of the old CC, making rear seat access so much simpler. Scuplted headliners work nicely too - only the tallest customers may wrestle with the low roof. In fact rear headroom is 940mm thanks to the lengthy roof, not far short of the 1,008mmin the entrance. Safety techniques in every Arteon include adaptive cruise control with predictive cruise control; metropolis emergency braking; front help; velocity help; site visitors jam assist; lane assist and a driver alert fatigue warning system. The ACC system makes use of GPS-primarily based road knowledge to ‘see’ pace limits, and alter the car’s pace as appropriate. Meanwhile Road Recognition, using the front camera and route data from the navigation knowledge and working inside system limits, predictively adjusts the vehicle’s velocity previous to bends, roundabouts and junctions. On the street, the Arteon handles well, thanks to progressive gearing of the electro-mechanical energy steering. This makes steering extra precise on twisty roads, and has the added benefit of reducing steering effort in town. It feels a little unusual to be testing petrol quite than diesel, but that’s the way in which the world is going.
