The words ‘shooting brake’ have become equivalent to sporty-looking estates with sloping rooflines, but there was a time when the nomenclature was applied to three-door wagon models – you know, back when coupes were actually coupes.

Volkswagen recently tapped into this niche with the Arteon Shooting Brake. If you visit our comments section frequently, you’ll have no doubt noticed the ‘digital’ uproar, with many readers chastising VW (and even us) for using the moniker on a five-door model. Not that Volkswagen is the first to do so, as Mercedes also calls its CLA and CLS wagons ‘Shooting Brake’.

Part of the mid-cycle refresh of the range, it’s a family estate that builds on the regular Arteon and comes with a more family-friendly cargo area, boasting up to 57.6 cu-ft (1,632 lt) with the rear seats folded down.

Read Also: 2021 VW Arteon Debuts With New Shooting Brake Variant And Plug-In Hybrid

Arguable one of the most elegant-looking D-segment wagons out there, the 2021 Arteon Shooting Brake was turned into a three-door. XTomi is behind the digital interpretation of the car, which keeps the overall styling yet waves goodbye to the rear doors. The front doors are now longer, the rear quarter panels are bigger and the windows have been reshaped. Space at the back has been narrowed, as the wheelbase is a bit shorter.

Back in the real life, Americans will miss out on the Shooting Brake variant, as well as the 215 HP plug-in hybrid and 316 HP Arteon R. The lineup will consist of three grades, named the SE, SEL R-Line and SEL Premium R-Line, all of which will pack the 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine, rated at 268 HP and 258 lb-ft (349 Nm) of torque. The output will be directed to the front wheels through an eight-speed automatic transmission, but all-wheel drive will be offered as standard on the top-of-the-line trim level, and will be optional on the mid-spec SEL R-Line.

Note: This is an independently made rendering that is in no way related to or endorsed by Volkswagen