[karan561]

I was in Germany a few weeks back & this time i had the beautiful & sensuous VW Arteon R Line 2.0 TDi, 4Motion with me for a few days. This report is derived after driving the VW Arteon 750 + kms over 3 days in Deutschland.

Likes;

- Exterior Looks ( A Visual Extravaganza )
- Ride Comfort & Handling ( A Very Balanced Performer )
- Engine ( Competent 2L TDI, Good on Performance, Economy & Long Range Cruising Capability )

Dislikes;

- Basic Interior Design ( Interior is not having the same flair as the exterior )
- Stooping Roofline limits the headroom at the rear ( Would only be an issue for taller passengers )
- Pricing ( Expensive, as its priced around & above the likes of Merc C Class, Audi A4 )

[karan561]

Exteriors;

The car definitely does look good in pictures but the real beauty is when you see it in flesh / real life.



Though the Arteon is a sedan but essentially its a large 5 door hatch;



^ Long flowing lines



The hood/bonnet is un-conventional & not like you see in most sedans. If you see from the side the hood line extends all the way to the top of the wheel wells;



The Arteon is 4.8m long, 2.8m of which consists of wheelbase;



Love the way the bonnet protrudes over the lights;



^ Very Sly

The front wide grille positioning is very low & distinguishes itself from other VW's in a nice way;



Do Notice the R badging.



The overall exterior looks are very premium, classy yet understated.



Interiors;

Interior is not having the same flair as the exterior & almost identical to the Passat;



^ Design is very clean, straightforward, modern & user friendly. Loved the flat bottom meaty steering & cabin ergonomics.

The touch screen is superb & felt very similar to the one in the Porsche 992 911 i had with me in Berlin, read full report of the 911 experience HERE : (Video: Driving the Porsche 911 Carrera S @ 315 km/h!)

Audi style Virtual Cockpit was very informative & easy to use;



^ Note the long fuel range, thanks to the frugal diesel motor.

R Line trim gets these sporty seats in the Alcantara fabric, really loved them.



Overall Interior Quality & Build is very SOLID, Typical VWness is visible.

Driving Performance;



Engine;

The engine im driving was the 2L TDi. This 2L 4cyl engine is available in 150 hp, 190 hp tunes & a Bi Turbo 240 hp unit as well.
I had the 190 HP one which produces 400 NM torque. Overall the engine was very enthusiastic when driven on open roads. Also this engine was paired with the 7 speed DSG which felt nice too.
The engine did sound gruff at some rpms but it could be because the rest of the car's sound insulation is very good so you end up noticing the engine sound.
This car was launched after the Diesel Gate turmoil VW faced & in all this probably the sales of the diesel Arteon were hit too. But from an enthusiasts perspective this powerplant was a gem as its capable of doing cross country high speed runs with ease & all in all being economical so you'd be barely needing a stop (most definitely the driver would take a break before the car would need a refill).

Autobhan Driving Performance;



The Arteon was extremely enjoyable on the German Autobhans, particularly because it never felt too powerful out on these open roads & got many opportunities to go wide open throttle and extract all performance out of its 2L 190 hp 400 nm engine.
The official top speed for this engine is 233 km/h but was able to achieve 241 km/h after a few top speed runs
The chassis, suspension, tyres, steering all were confidence inspiring & yes the long wheel base helped too in high speed stability.



^ I was travelling with my wife & our baby (14 month old infant) Doing almost 300 kms under 3 hours without making anyone feel sick or uncomfortable a job well done by the Arteon

Fuel Economy;



The Arteon Diesel in the 190 hp tune is fairly economical & returned aprox 12 km/l which IMO is a pretty respectable figure especially while consistently remaining enthusiastic on the Autobahns with 2+1 people on board & a fully loaded boot.

Note the AdBlue tank;



Ride Quality & Handling;

Ride Quality at low speeds is good, but on the highway its just fantastic. Its like the suspension is designed for making the driver confident & passengers feel comfortable doing high speed runs munching kms on the Autobahns.

Overall the Arteon which has its long distance Cruising Game Strong also manages to keep you comfortable all the time.

4motion is VW's terminology for its All Wheel Drive system.

The Arteon is big & heavy too. So in the lower variants with a front engine, front wheel drive layout it could be tricky at high speeds but thanks to the 4Motion AWD system it was always keen & agile.



^ The 4motion tech aided confidence in me even during heavy rains to continue doing good speeds on the Autobhans.

A point to note is that the model which i drove did not have any separate Sport, Comfort, Eco etc such driving modes but very rarely there's a car which manages to be Sporty ( Handling, Chassis, Steering, 4Motion & Low Stance), Comfortable ( Suspension, Tyres, Space & Seats ) & Economical ( Frugal Engine & Long Range ) all at the same time. No need for driving modes at all as the car is everything you'd want it to be & you just concentrate on driving her while the passengers are seated in utmost comfort.

All in all a very sublime GT.

[karan561]

Final Word;



Arteon clearly targets cars like the BMW 4 Series GC or Audi A5 sedan i.e. the premium GranCoupe/Sportback Sedan market which is a enterprising move by a brand like VW.

The way the VW Arteon performs on the Autobahns is one thing but because of its dimensions & weight it may not be dynamically as special on the back roads which is understandable because the the Arteon is a true GT designed as a coupe, being roomy, practical, comfortable & economical at the same time. However still the main USP for the Arteon is the way it looks, Most may think this is an replacement for the VW Passat CC, but IMO its much more than that.

This car is like one of those Stylish Villains in a high profile Hollywood movie whom you admire for their style, presence but deep down you know can never become a HERO.

[GTO]

Thread moved from the Assembly Line to the TD Section. Thanks for sharing!

[sachin_cs]

It was such a delight to read the awesome write-up. The car looks absolutely smashing, there's nothing like Arteon in market for sure. Good to see VW coming with such interesting cars.

[Storm2.0]

Awesome review Karan. Just sad to see the kind of step motherly treatment Indian customer receive from VAG group. I do not blame them fully as same is the case with other brands also who are present in India.

[BZ25]

This car ranks among the most beautiful cars to be produced by Volkswagen. I do wish that this beauty should come to India, but sadly, the market's obsession with SUVs and the Passat not being a popular option like the Superb, chances seem to close to none.

Maybe VW can do a surprise and bring this to India as a Halo product, as this can easily alleviate them from their staid image in India.

[Nair.V8]

Great to see Arteon being featured on TeamBhp. I drive an Arteon Sport (280hp) here in Dubai; the car has an ideal balance of beauty, luxury, and performance. I hope to upload the complete review sometime soon when time permits.

[Nazaar25]

Excellent write up as usual!
The design is smashing and unlike any other VW ever!
The Arteon is one such car which can play a lot of roles with ease and I hope this becomes a part of VW's India 2.0 plan.

[karan561]

Originally Posted by sachin_cs

It was such a delight to read the awesome write-up. The car looks absolutely smashing, there's nothing like Arteon in market for sure. Good to see VW coming with such interesting cars.

Thanks Sachin, glad to know you enjoyed my write up !

Originally Posted by Storm2.0

Awesome review Karan. Just sad to see the kind of step motherly treatment Indian customer receive from VAG group. I do not blame them fully as same is the case with other brands also who are present in India.

Thanks ! I agree with your thoughts.

Originally Posted by BZ25

This car ranks among the most beautiful cars to be produced by Volkswagen.

I'd term it as the Sirocco of sedans, if you know what i mean

Maybe VW can do a surprise and bring this to India as a Halo product, as this can easily alleviate them from their staid image in India.

If positioned just around the A4 it would be a definite choice for many, particularly if they give exciting engines (240 hp diesel or the 280 hp petrol)

Originally Posted by Nair.V8

Great to see Arteon being featured on TeamBhp. I drive an Arteon Sport (280hp) here in Dubai; the car has an ideal balance of beauty, luxury, and performance. I hope to upload the complete review sometime soon when time permits.

Hey Mr Nair, thanks for sharing a pic of your 2L TSi Arteon. Hope to see a full Ownership report of your Arteon soon, Enjoy !

Originally Posted by Nazaar25

Excellent write up as usual!

Thanks !

The design is smashing and unlike any other VW ever!
The Arteon is one such car which can play a lot of roles with ease and I hope this becomes a part of VW's India 2.0 plan.

It may be too late for VW India to introduce the Arteon now as its been around since mid 2017, but you never know whats in store for the 2.0 plan, may be the facelift version of the Arteon makes it under the new homologation rules

[powershift]

Interesting read. Great to know that you enjoyed the ride in Autobahn. I see that you touched quite a high speed even for the Autobahn standard. I know that the nearby countries has a upper and lower speed limit in the motorways. For eg., Belgium has an upper limit of 120kmph and Netherlands with 130kmph. People who drive at 120/130kmph in Autobahn still feel that its obstructing the traffic flow because others cruise at a higher speed. At what speed you were able to comfortably cruise without much of overtaking or others tail gating you at unsafe distance? Or do you feel 200+ kmph is a normal cruise?
Regarding Arteon, I really love the exterior styling but the interiors are similar to Passat. It would make sense to have a more attractive and classy interior from such an expensive car. I have heard from my colleague who owns a top end Passat is priced close to 45000 Euros in Belgium. I am sure it would be way higher than that and his premium German brothers is already looking at him with a evil grin.

[karan561]

Originally Posted by powershift

Interesting read. Great to know that you enjoyed the ride in Autobahn.

Thanks !

I see that you touched quite a high speed even for the Autobahn standard. I know that the nearby countries has a upper and lower speed limit in the motorways. For eg., Belgium has an upper limit of 120kmph and Netherlands with 130kmph.

Some sections on the Highways do have speed limits even in Germany, but the high speed runs were done only on the un-restricted patches of the Autobhans

People who drive at 120/130kmph in Autobahn still feel that its obstructing the traffic flow because others cruise at a higher speed. At what speed you were able to comfortably cruise without much of overtaking or others tail gating you at unsafe distance? Or do you feel 200+ kmph is a normal cruise?

140-160 km/h is normal cruise by Autobahn standards. I saw many large vans (VW Transporter, Crafter etc) cruising at such speeds.

Regarding Arteon, I really love the exterior styling but the interiors are similar to Passat. It would make sense to have a more attractive and classy interior from such an expensive car.

I have heard from my colleague who owns a top end Passat is priced close to 45000 Euros in Belgium. I am sure it would be way higher than that and his premium German brothers is already looking at him with a evil grin.

The Passat has become expensive hence the Arteon seems all the more expensive but overall the difference between the would not be more than 2-3k Euros (Not too sure, best to check rates online)

[raveesh_k]

Originally Posted by karan561

140-160 km/h is normal cruise by Autobahn standards. I saw many large vans (VW Transporter, Crafter etc) cruising at such speeds.

130 kmph is the recommended speed on the autobahn, but yes there are many stretches were you have no speed limits. And as Germans jokingly say - "Autobahn is the only place now where they are free to do what the want"

I remember driving the Arteon on the Autobahn on one of my road trips to Swiss in 2017 (I guess) when it was launched in Germany just a couple of months back and it saved me by a whisker when it jammed the brakes on its own, inches behind the car in front of me, when my Arteon was rolling forward on an incline and I was gazing out of the window looking at the majestic Alps! That is what I like about Volkswagen cars, they give you the tech and engine (VW Golf R vs Audi S3) that you may have to pay much more for, when going for the premium badged cars. Even though Arteon is slightly over priced I agree, I still have a reason for liking that car, as I mentioned above. It saved my Swiss trip in 2017

Tip: Never to take your eyes off the road. Landscape beauty is for the occupants of the car but for the driver

[karan561]

Originally Posted by raveesh_k

And as Germans jokingly say - "Autobahn is the only place now where they are free to do what the want"

I remember driving the Arteon on the Autobahn on one of my road trips to Swiss in 2017 (I guess) when it was launched in Germany just a couple of months back and it saved me by a whisker when it jammed the brakes on its own, inches behind the car in front of me, when my Arteon was rolling forward on an incline and I was gazing out of the window looking at the majestic Alps! That is what I like about Volkswagen cars, they give you the tech and engine (VW Golf R vs Audi S3) that you may have to pay much more for, when going for the premium badged cars. Even though Arteon is slightly over priced I agree, I still have a reason for liking that car, as I mentioned above. It saved my Swiss trip in 2017

Thanks for sharing your interesting experience.

Just noticed you are from Dusseldorf as per your location shown in TEAM-BHP profile. Well i dropped the Arteon in Dusseldorf only after driving it all the way from Berlin via Hamburg

Tip: Never to take your eyes off the road. Landscape beauty is for the occupants of the car but for the driver

Thanks !

[lapis_lazuli]

Excellent coverage.


Maybe because I own a Superb, my eyes seems to discover many similarities in the two. The length, height, weight, fuel tank capacities and many other specs are exactly the same. In fact the give away is the exact front overhang ahead of the A pillar, too! Plus, the bonnet shut line styling and the shoulder if you may call it. I think it is all MQB in real implementation.


So, a brief search on the net:



https://www.drivek.co.uk/compare/sko...swagen-arteon/


Nice looking car that! Performance was never lacking in VAG vehicles, anyway.