VW Luxury Arteon To Have Official Debut At Geneva Show

Though Volkswagen has been showing its Arteon for the last several months and expectations were that the new luxo-sedan would be available in the U.S. as a 2018 model, the automaker confirmed it would arrive in the U.S. as a 2019 model.

Based On 2015 Concept

Based on the 2015 Sport Coupe Concept GTE, the premium sedan goes on sales in Germany in mid-June as a 2018 model, a VW spokesman said. Volkswagen plans to debut the Geneva Motor Show this week.

Volkswagen’s plans call for the Arteon Gran Turismo to be slotted above the Passat. Passat was wholly changed last year and has been sales success since arriving at dealerships.

Built on VW’s MQB architecture, the Arteon will replace the current top-of-line CC. The new Arteon’s front end has a more muscular look thanks to its broad, low fascia. Arteon also sports a fastback tail, given the luxury sedan a sporting look.

Moving to the interior, there is a customizable instrument cluster available for the driver, who also has a heads-up display. The just ahead of the center console – now called the center stack – Arteon features a new infotainment system that is dominated by a 9.2-inch screen and gesture control.

Choice Of Three Engines

Buyers will have a choice of three engines and manual or automatic transmissions. The engines are a 1.5-liter turbocharged inline 148-horsepower four; a 2.0-liter inline 188-horsepower inline four, or a 276-horsepower all-wheel-drive inline four. Plans call for a diesel model in Europe. Each of the powerplants can be mated to either a six-speed manual or a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic. EPA ratings aren’t available yet.

On the safety front, Arteon features VW’s latest adaptive cruise control. The system takes speed limits and route information, adjusting the Arteon’s speed. There’s an interesting safety feature that helps light a driver’s way. A dynamic cornering light system, using a predictive system to recognize features of the road. For example, if there is a bend approaching, the cornering light system turns on before the curve begins and lights the full way through. And, there is an emergency assist system. The emergency assist can slow the car and steer to the shoulder, out of traffic, if the driver goes down due to an illness.

Arteon plans call for two trims, a luxury Elegance trim, and a sporty R-Line trim.

Source: Automotive News