Volkswagen Arteon – a stylish alternative to premium saloons on long-term test
As soon as the Arteon was announced, we thought it interesting. Could a volume manufacturer such as Volkswagen really produce a saloon to rival the big-hitters in the sector such as Audi, BMW, Jaguar and Mercedes-Benz?
Our car: Volkswagen Arteon R-Line 2.0 TSI 190 PS 7spd DSG List price when new: £34,290 OTR Price as tested: £42,835 Official fuel economy: 47.1mpg (EU Combined)
March 15th, 2018
Fuel economy this week: 23.2mpg
A trip to Switzerland to cover the Geneva motor show meant that the Arteon has been languishing in the Telegraph's splendid subterranean parking facility for much of the past few weeks, but on the rare occasions it's seen the light of day it is beginning to grow on me.
Unfortunately I still haven't been able to give it a much-needed run; a commute of only a few miles miles means that the economy is still pretty poor. However, I shall be on duty at the 76th Members' Meeting at Goodwood this weekend, the first event of the historic motorsport season, and I can't wait to point the Arteon's sleek snout south towards West Sussex.
At least the weather has warmed up a little, meaning a slight improvement in economy as the 2.0-litre turbocharged engine is able to get up to operating temperature far more quickly than it did when the Beast from the East held much of the country in its icy grip.
One item of standard equipment that I've come to appreciate is the auto-hold function of the electromechanical handbrake.
Like many Telegraph readers, I'm not a huge fan of this style of parking brake as they can be quite jerky in operation - and the alternative is sitting with your foot on the brake while stationary, which I detest.
In the Arteon, engaging the auto-hold function allows you to sit in stop-start traffic with the car still in Drive and when it's clear to proceed a simple tap of the accelerator disengages it smoothly.
Naturally, it also works on inclines - if you're one of those who can't get to grips with a non-manual parking brake, I seriously recommend this feature. They're gradually appearing on most VW Group cars, as well as BMW and Mercedes models.
The Arteon is a comfortable car, too. The suspension soaks up all but the worst of rutted urban roads and I'm becoming a huge fan of the seats. While not quite up to Volvo standards, neither are they as unyielding as the seats of many rivals.
There's plenty of space inside, the rear-seat accommodation being particularly impressive (although the sloping roofline necessitates stooping a little on entry).
All I need to do now is to escape the metropolis and hit the open road where, touch wood, this car will be in its element.
February 27th, 2018
Fuel economy this week: 22.9mpg
Well the Arteon has succeeded on one part of its mission, which is to look sleek and handsome – although it's a very discreet car, it has been attracting plenty of covetous looks.
I love the subtle creases in the bodywork that instantly distance the Arteon from the previous Passat CC, with the coupé-like roofline adding a dash of style sometimes lacking in VW products.
It also looks larger than it actually is, although at 4.86 metres in length and 2.12 metres wide it's clearly a sizeable car. That translates into excellent interior space, with plenty of legroom in the back and a wide and deep, 563-litre boot.
For extra practicality, the seats fold to provide a whopping 1,557 litres. I shall be testing its versatility with a range of bicycles in the back (my stock method for assessing the day-to-day practicality of a load area).
Our car has the 2.0-litre TSI turbocharged petrol engine developing 187bhp (190PS), which drives the front wheels via a seven-speed DSG automatic gearbox.
For the record (although we're unlikely to test any of this), the top speed is 149mph, with 0-62mph acceleration in 7.7 seconds.
Although it is early days, I love driving the Arteon. It feels as though it doesn't like to be hurried. Rather it's a comfortable cruiser.
Part of that relaxed feel is due to the DSG gearbox. I must admit I'm not a fan of these VW Group automatics because of their tendency to hesitate when you demand instant acceleration, although of course I'm willing to give it a chance to shine, this being a long-term assessment.
My only other gripe so far is the steering lock. I must admit that I've been spoiled by running a Renault Twingo, which can turn on the proverbial sixpence, but the Arteon can be a struggle to manoeuvre in tight urban spaces.
Only the frankly shocking fuel economy has given genuine cause for concern, although to be fair to VW (which, let's face it, has had more than its share of negative press recently) the car has so far only been used for very short urban commutes in viciously cold weather; circumstances that will wreck the economy of any car.
Expect it to pick up with more miles on the clock and some longer journeys thrown into the mix.
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