Hey there, hope your day’s going alright. I've a fast query for you: are you gonna buy a 2019 Volkswagen Arteon? I don’t imply to pry or something, I’m just curious. I’ll be real with you and tell you I don’t actually “get” the Arteon. I mean, I’m finally considerably glad that one thing new is in the marketplace that isn’t another crossover. Despite what the automobile companies will inform you, we definitely have sufficient of those. I’m just having a hard time feeling enthusiasm—or anything—about the Arteon, which made its American debut at this time at the Chicago Auto Show. The Arteon ostensibly replaces the Volkswagen CC, and should you forgot that even existed, I forgive you. It by no means really set anyone’s hair on hearth. In idea, just like the CC, the Arteon can be nicer and flashier than the Passat, which additionally hasn’t actually set anyone’s hair on hearth in a while because it existed in W8 wagon type.
It appears simply advantageous. The grille’s a bit much, nevertheless it does that 4-door coupe factor all the sedans are doing now. And that i don’t thoughts that in any respect. I’m simply saying that, presumably, the Arteon can be costlier than a Passat; the CC was. 34,475. Pricing for the 2019 Arteon hasn’t been announced yet, but I believe it’s safe to guess will probably be about as a lot because the CC. Probably more.0-liter TSI turbo four and front- or all-wheel drive. It has an eight-pace automated too. Is that really how you need to spend your exhausting-earned cash? Over a Honda Accord, or even a Buick Regal TourX, or a Kia Stinger, or actually anything else? You could possibly even make investments that money, or give it to a worthy native charity. 34,475 on. Considered one of our guys in Europe is driving it quickly to let you know if it’s good or not. Maybe that may help. Within the meantime, you gonna buy one?
There’s nothing worse than a nasty boring car. The Arteon, however, is a brilliant boring automotive. If circumstances deny you delectable steering really feel and a naturally aspirated engine that revs to 9000rpm, lumbering you as a substitute with a need for consolation and convenience, it sucks to know you’re being short-modified. It’s all too easy for manufacturers to turn out dross with an indecipherable infotainment system and a design so miserable that opening the garage has you feeling like you’ve simply collected the keys to a backside-of-the-rung rental car. That’s not the Arteon. It’s shone in its months with us - literally so when the sun displays off the paint. That colour is a part of the feelgood issue, displaying off the chiselled traces to full effect and inflicting members of the general public to flock to it. Forget your Astons and your Ferraris, I’ve never had so many feedback from so many individuals, at petrol stations, in car parks, even popping out of the house one day to search out two random passers-by admiring it in the road.
No one guessed it was a posh Passat. Those gorgeous traces hide the hatchback. Nearly each govt saloon sticks to a traditional boot, however bucking the trend is a boon for the Arteon. We specced our car with the elective electrical tailgate (£900, which included keyless entry too), and one flick of your foot under the rear bumper has the massive fifth door rising to reveal the big (563 litres) luggage space. We didn’t as soon as battle for area, and it got here into its own on our annual Sports Car Giant Test (SCGT), swallowing the crew’s package for the week and proving the proper monitoring vehicle for photographer Richard Pardon. That event was an acid test for the Arteon’s overall abilities. Which is why we found ourselves shadowing exotica such because the McLaren Senna (below). And away from SCGT, I solely adored it more. A smidge under 200bhp is sufficient for London life (and the overall mpg mirrored its cease/begin life) and long motorway cruises gave 40mpg and 500 miles between fills.
The seats are nice, the infotainment system exemplary, and the excessive-high quality inside has just sufficient buttons - there’s no need to dive into the central touchscreen for even the only of commands. Living proof: the button on the sprint that permits you to activate the (non-obligatory £765) 360° cameras instantly, which is especially useful given the frequency of width restrictors and dicey on-street parking manoeuvres in London. That option is a must-have, but I wouldn’t spec the panoramic sunroof (£935) once more as a result of it’s tiny, and it by no means obtained chilly enough to make use of the heated front local weather windscreen (£305). In short, you won't be within the market for a ‘normal’ automotive, but in case you are, I can’t recommend the Arteon highly enough. Hot on the heels of thrilling support-automotive duties at last month's Sports Car Giant Test, the Arteon and I've returned to a extra mundane life, particularly going again and forth to Mothercare.
