US-Spec VW Arteon Lands In Chicago, Sales To Begin In Late 2018

BY Michael Karkafiris | Posted on

VW finally showed the US-spec version of the 2019 Arteon at the Chicago Auto Show and revealed all the details of the new four-door coupe.

US customers will be offered a single powertrain option in the form of a 2.0-liter TSI with 268hp and 258lb-ft of torque. Power will be transmitted to the front wheels via an eight-speed automatic transmission, with VW’s 4Motion all-wheel drive available as an option.

The CC successor wants to lure customers into VW dealerships with its long list of standard features, including keyless access, three-zone climate control, full LED headlights, adaptive DCC dampers, rear-view camera, Forward Collision Warning, Front Assist and Blind Spot Monitor with Rear Traffic Alert.

The interior gets leatherette seats (the front ones are heated) and an eight-inch infotainment system with Apple CarPlay, Android Auto and Mirrorlink as standard. Options include VW’s configurable Digital Cockpit instrument display, Nappa leather, front ventilated seats, a rear heated bench and more.

Based on the MQB architecture, the new VW Arteon features a wheelbase that’s longer by more than five inches wheelbase compared to the CC (111.9 inches over 106.7 inches), which translates into a roomier cabin.

The Arteon will be covered by VW’s transferrable People First Warranty that provides coverage for six years or 72,000 miles, whichever occurs first. VW will offer the new Arteon in SE, SEL, and SEL Premium trim levels  when it hits dealerships in the third quarter of 2018.

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  • Jay

    Its about time.. I like it minus the lower chrome bits.

  • gor134

    Am I the only one who doesn’t like the very large flat wheel arches? Also, I’m not sure how well this will do with a ~35k starting price. The Buick Regal starts at 25k and the Stinger at 31k.

    • Mr_Fanta_Pants

      Regal at $25k has absolutely zero equipment 🤣

      • gor134

        A fully loaded non-GS Regal with the 2.0t and 259 hp costs roughly 37k according to their configurator.

    • Dr Strangefinger

      You’re not alone.

  • YUDHA BAGASKARA

    kia stinger’s nightmare

    • pcurve

      probably different target customers. VW = more hipsterish.

    • Bo Hanan

      The Stinger’s 4 & 6 cylinder engines will eat this alive. Kia has no worries.

      • Randy Terpstra

        The Stinger’s competition is the BMW 3-series. While the Arteon is probably set to target the likes of the Lexus ES, etc.

        • Jason Panamera

          In Europe KIA Stinger is direct competitor of 4 seires, A5 so the Aerton is. Still we are waiting for 4 door coupe based on C class.

        • Bo Hanan

          The Stinger’s price point allows it to target the VW up to the 3-Series. Smart marketing on Kia’s part. Additionally, the fact that we are mentioning Kia in this company means they’ve won already.

          • Jason Panamera

            You got the point.

          • Mynameis Taylor

            you just won then debate

    • Nordschleife

      Maybe the base model. The GT caters to a different demographic.

  • pcurve

    What’s US spec? Extra hard plastics? haha

    • + dummed down interior and options…

    • Rocket

      The 8-speed Aisin slushbox is for the U.S. market. Europe gets the 7-speed DSG. It’s probably the right move considering how lumpy that gearbox can be. The American model won’t be anywhere near as quick though.

  • MarketAndChurch

    I wished the Passat looked this cool.

  • BlackPegasus

    This is a huge fail! The Euro spec models get the 10 inch touchscreen. Why must the US models settle for the 8 inch screens? 😒

    • LWOAP

      They don’t like us because of the diesel scandal. That’s the only reason I can think of it to be honest.

    • dumblikeyou2

      Does it really matter when they’re still using the same tired old gear selector and hvac controls, and steering wheel from a Jetta?

    • Mr_Fanta_Pants

      The Euro top screen is a 9 inch. Are you that worried about an inch? 😉
      Besides, the 8 inch has actual knobs, which the 9 inch misses out on.

      • BlackPegasus

        Bigger is better. And I don’t like the knob design.

        • Vassilis

          A knob is much more user-friendly than running your finger along the screen. First of all you get less smudges and second, scrolling through those screens isn’t as easy as scrolling through a smartphone’s for example.

    • Jason Panamera

      Belive me. This screen is much easier to operate than bigger one during driving.

    • Rocket

      They’re going to protect Audi’s success here, even if it means sacrificing VW sales. After killing the Touareg, the only threat Tina Audi sales is the Golf R, and even that’s a stretch.

    • Nordschleife

      Is it really a huge fail. Europe gets a a one inch bigger screen and we get knobs which most people prefer. So it sounds like they catered their intainment to the American buyer.

  • no25

    the new Avalon should hangout with this since they’re both all grille in the front

  • roy

    Am I the only one or did VW somehow managed to make the otherwise good looking arteon a bit cheap looking in the us spec guise?

    • Yep. VW hates us Americans…not sure why, but I think they hate the fact that we are more clever than them…

      • gor134

        It’s because of the lower suspension. And it’s not only VW. The Buick Regal looks so cheap compared to the Opel Insignia, because it has a higher suspension and smaller wheels.

    • Jason Panamera

      It’s becasue in most press materials Arteon is presented in R-line which looks good but most of the Arteons (in UE) on the roads are in Essence/Elegance trim which looks like models in this artice.

      • I’m not so sure about that…here is a video of the European Elegance trim…looks better than the American Elegance trim…
        https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k4_JA8lkdRo

        • Jason Panamera

          These yellow/orange reflective lights on the front of the car will always ruin it. :<

  • VW needs to look at the new Honda Accord’s interior…I was absolutely amazed at the high-quality touch, feel and look of it…the interior of the Arteon looks full of hard plastics…also, somehow the exterior of the U.S. version of the Arteon looks different (lesser) than the European version…

    • Jason Panamera

      Accord’s interior is top of the notch. It make’s me considering why to buy premium brands instead of this Accord. Love it.

  • ErnieB

    Why couldn’t they use the interior of the new Jetta on this is beyond me.. the interior looks dated already!

  • Nordschleife

    The chartreuse color looks fantastic but the red looks so bland.

  • nauticalone Ed

    Looks good!

  • Honda NSX-R

    Can’t wait for the Arteon R!

  • TheBelltower

    As far as massively huge grilles go, this one is more elegant than most.

    • I agree, and this grille actually makes sense: ‘murican version w/out the license plate…

      Maybe even DRL stretching from side to side wouldn’t look too bad. Although, they would look probably too confusing.

    • Jason Panamera

      Seems like well composed lights with grille is a solution here.

  • SteersUright

    Success of the attractive Arteon will be entirely related to asking price (lease promotion and msrp to buy). For me, its too much of a sport sedan poseur for my tastes. While I certainly do think it looks great, I do hope there’s a proper GTI or R version.