It’s called the Arteon, it’s a 2019 model, and it represents a new conveyance to travel down a road that Volkswagen’s traveled before, with mixed results. You may remember the Phaeton, the Audi-based large sedan with available W-12 power, which sold in numbers that barely constituted a trickle. Volkswagen enjoyed markedly better market performance with the slick, four-door CC. The Arteon is all-new, but it still represents a refinement of that concept, the idea that people will pay for a capable “four-door coupe” with a high level of appointments.
This much is certain, the Arteon certainly has it in the looks department, taking its name from a modification of the Latin word for art. It’s the production version of a design concept that Volkswagen first presented three years ago at the Geneva salon. The Arteon has much more in common with the CC in terms of packaging and affordability than it did with the Phaeton. The Arteon’s 112 inches of wheelbase span a variant of Volkswagen’s MQB platform, and either front-wheel or all-wheel 4Motion drive can be chosen by the buyer. The sole power sources is a 2.0-liter turbocharged TSI four-cylinder engine with start-stop technology, coupled to an eight-speed automatic transaxle with Tiptronic manual shift capability. DCC active suspension damping is standard across the board. Standard interior accoutrements include a fully digital dash with an 8.0-inch touchscreen handling vehicle function and navigation, depending on the model. Suggested pricing ranges from $35,845 for the Arteon SE to $44,945 for the maxed out Arteon SEL Premium.
Jim Donnelly On Wheels 