Volkswagen Arteon: The Newest German Luxury Car

New Volkswagen Artheon

The 2018 Volkswagen Arteon combines style, the latest automotive technology, comfort, and superior performance. This redesigned midsized, four-door coupe moves Volkswagen squarely into consideration as an affordable luxury brand. This new-look Volkswagen is grabbing attention with its attractive new grille, shapely new headlamps and daring character lines that run up its aerodynamic hood and blends into the window graphics. The new design language is brought together by a daring center line running all the way around the car.

Bigger And Better

At 191.4 inches in length, the new Volkswagen Arteon has a 5.2 inch longer wheelbase and a 2.4-inch longer body than the Passat Comfort Coupe it replaces. The front overhang is increased by 1.4 inches and the back by 0.8 of an inch. The Arteon has a huge 19.9 cubic foot trunk for all your gear and interior space that’s 83 inches long and totals 55 cubic feet when the seats are folded down. This is room enough to carry anything you need for work, play or even an incredible weekend adventure. All of this is built on Volkswagen’s latest iteration of it transverse-engine MQB chassis platform.

Sporty And Luxurious, Yet Practical

The 2018 Volkswagen Arteon offers a great new exterior and interior design, excellent drivetrains, fine materials and the latest in advanced automotive infotainment and communications technology. The vehicle’s safety technology has also been enhanced with improved brakes, adjustable valving on its dampers and suspension components that’ve been heavily revised. They work in tandem with the Arteon’s new 20-inch wheels on most models and 19-inch rims on the version for the U.S. market. This adds practicality to a sporty-looking automobile, filled with luxurious amenities and built to deliver incredible performance.

Volkswagen Artheon

Style, Space And Substance

Slide inside the surprisingly spacious 2018 Volkswagen Arteon and you’re surrounded by premium amenities like striated wood inserts, a stylish center console and dash, large, comfortable seats with cloth, Alcantara or leather upholstery, acres of rear legroom and the latest version of Volkswagen’s flat-screen infotainment system featuring great graphics, Modular Infotainment Matrix and easy-to-access interactive and digitalized interfaces. Available technology includes Active Info Display, a heads-up display and the Discover Pro system with a tablet-like glass surface and 9.2-inch display with innovative gesture control. This technologically advanced vehicle is clearly built for comfort and would make even the longest journey a pleasant drive.

A Versatile Powertrain

The new Volkswagen Arteon lets buyers choose from six efficient, powerful TSI and TDI engines. The most popular is the 2.0-liter, four-cylinder 276 horsepower TSI turbo. It features direct as well as port fuel injection, exhaust and inlet cams with variable-valve timing, plus a two-stage valve-lift system. It produces 258 pound-feet of torque, has a top speed of 155 miles per hour and goes from 0-60 in 5.6 seconds. All Arteon models have a seven-speed twin-clutch transmission, along with 4Motion, Volkswagen’s all-wheel-drive system that features a multi-plate clutch. The 4Motion system provides great traction, optional directional stability and active safety at all times. Some Arteon models are available with front-wheel drive.

Lots Of Excellent Driver Assistance Features

Volkswagen has put extra emphasis on ensuring occupants in the 2018 Arteon are as safe as possible under all types of driving conditions. The automobile manufacturer has done so by integrating some of the latest proactive safety innovations into the vehicle’s design. They include Traffic Jam Assist which employs self-driving technology for automatic steering, acceleration and braking at low speeds and Volkswagen’s Emergency Assist system which offers Forward Collision Warning, Emergency Braking, Lane Change Assist, Lane Departure Warning, Adaptive Cruise Control, Rear Traffic Alert, Blind-Spot Warning, Rear-End Crash Protection and Park Assist.

VW Artheon from the inside

A Technologically Advanced Emergency Assist System

The Emergency Assist system not only buzzes, vibrates, jolts and flashes to get the driver’s attention, it will signal other drivers it is changing lanes and can also safely drive the vehicle into the slow lane if the driver seems to be incapacitated. Plus, it also instantly aligns the seats, tightens the seatbelts, prepares head restraints, closes the windows and sunroof, prepares the air-bags for deployment and turns the hazard lights on, if it detects an imminent collision. The 2018 Volkswagen truly is designed to safely get its driver and occupants to their destination and take care of them along the way.

A Mechanical Marvel

The 2018 Volkswagen Arteon is a mechanical marvel with a smooth, composed ride. One reason is that its front wheel suspension has coil spring struts, which are coil springs that have telescopic shock absorbers, as well as lower wishbones with a track-stabilizing scrub radius. A four-link independent rear suspension in which each of the gas-filled shock absorbers has separate springs and having anti-roll bars on both the axles also helps to make the car ride smoothly. The experience is made even more pleasurable by the enhancement the Volkswagen Dynamic Chassis Control system provides on the Arteon.

Amazing Performance And Handling

The new Arteon’s performance and handling draws rave reviews. The direct, responsive, progressively-tuned steering ratio of its electromechanical power steering helps the Arteon deliver an agile performance. Its DSG gearbox is brilliantly fast and its automatic gear selection can be overridden in both manual mode and by using its steering-wheel paddles. The steering feels ideal as a variable weight which gently alters the setting of the chassis. The Arteon takes tight corners well at moderate speed and in long corners, it produces a confidence-inspiring grip. Its excellent lateral dynamics, well-controlled body movements and good ride comfort gives the Arteon impressive balance and makes driving in it exhilarating.

Overall, the 2018 Volkswagen Arteon is a handsome, refined, sophisticated, dynamic car. It’s a unique combination of versatility, cutting-edge technology, unmatched charisma and avant-garde design. Add gesture, voice and touch control, powerful, fuel-efficient engines, an unconventional cocoon-like dashboard and comfortable seating for five and it’s obvious the attractive new Arteon’s goal is to add Volkswagen to the list of luxury automobiles.

About the Author
Bruce Hess

Hey, I’m Bruce, a lifestyle advisor and coach who touches on all topics that can lead you to live your life to the fullest. Outside of work, I’m a hobbyist rock climber and a big fan of video games. More articles from Bruce.