VW calls it a shooting brake, but it really isn't.
We’ve seen our fair share of spy photos with both the Arteon and its long-roof sibling, and now Volkswagen is announcing when the two will be revealed in full. Come June 24, the dynamic duo will get a digital premiere in the same vein as recent car debuts that also happened exclusively online due to the coronavirus pandemic.
As with virtually all sketches, the adjacent teaser exaggerates the design details as the roofline is unrealistically low and the wheels are way too big. We are able to notice some of the changes applied at the front where the 2021 Arteon will get a new set of headlights interconnected through a Golf-esque LED light bar on the grille. Also visible is the updated R Line logo that debuted with the Atlas Cross Sport back in October 2019.
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Despite carrying the Shooting Brake suffix, the long-roof Arteon will basically be a wagon to serve as a more stylish alternative to the regular Passat Variant in Europe. Speaking of cars not available in the United States, the Arteon Shooting Brake will also be a forbidden fruit. While the Euro-spec liftback offers 563 liters of cargo capacity (measured at 27.2 cubic feet for the US model), the volume should get a nice bump on the wagon derivative.
VW is being coy on details for the time being, but it does mention the 2021 Arteon will get the VW Group’s more powerful MIB3 infotainment system with the latest connectivity tech and smartphone-like smoothness. Since we mentioned tech, the folks from Wolfsburg are promising an advanced semi-autonomous driving system capable that will steer, accelerate, and brake the car at speeds of up to 130 mph (210 km/h).
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What the press release isn’t saying is that both body styles are set to receive full-fat R versions. It’s unclear whether these will also be revealed on June 24 as VW might want to come out with the big guns later this year. The jury is still out on what will power the Arteon R, although we’re hearing it will be the tried-and-tested 2.0 TSI from the Golf R and T-Roc R dialed to somewhere in the region of 330 horsepower. A newly developed 3.0-liter turbocharged VR6 with roughly 400 hp was briefly mentioned by VW at the end of 2017, but we haven’t heard anything about it since then.
For the time being, all we know about the 2021 Arteon’s oily bits is that both the liftback and wagon will have “innovative, future-oriented engine and emissions technologies.” In addition, the company announced in early April the car would get a plug-in hybrid powertrain, possibly coming along with the "GTE" badge. We will have all the details in three weeks from today.
2021 Arteon set to premiere June 24th
Jun 3, 2020
- Dynamic four-door fastback to be updated and launched alongside a second body type—the Arteon Shooting Brake—in Europe
- Comprehensive upgrade of the model line with intelligent comfort and assistance systems
Wolfsburg, Germany — In advance of a virtual world première later this month, Volkswagen is giving a first glimpse of the new Arteon. Alongside the classic gran turismo, a shooting brake will also be available in Europe.
Volkswagen will introduce a major update of the model line with the debut of the two Arteon versions. On the inside, the Arteon will be given a completely new cockpit environment to match its exclusive nature, and the latest modular infotainment matrix (MIB3) systems will be integrated to ensure the best possible connectivity.
Intelligent assist systems will also be introduced in this avant-garde model line. Thanks to “Travel Assist”, highly assisted driving—within the system limits—will be possible in the new Arteon models for the first time. Designed particularly with long-distance journeys in mind, these Volkswagen models will take over steering, acceleration and braking up to speeds of 130 mph—under the control of the driver.
The world première and detailed information about the Arteon and Arteon Shooting Brake will follow later this month.