The Volkswagen Arteon four-door coupe has reached its minor change for the 2021 model year but this is more than just a minor change because it's not alone; it's got new additions such as the first-ever Arteon Shooting Brake and the first-ever Arteon R range.
The new Arteon, priced at 44,650 Euros plus additional costs, promises to be the best Arteon ever made not because of its new additions that make it more exciting but it is because of its revised styling, a revised interior, new powertrain, and new tech.
Firstly, we take a look at the revised design; the Arteon now sports a revised front face, new LED light signatures at the front and rear, and some new set of wheels, keeping itself youthful than ever while letting its newest additions shine. Of course, if you want to talk about the R's styling, just think of it as an Arteon with steroids. That is all.
The interior has been slightly revised as well with a new steering wheel complete with the new VW logo, new sat-nav, new instrumental panel, new climate control, and weirdly, in the name of minimalism, the analog clock in the middle of the dashboard as seen on the pre-facelift has been omitted. Shame about the clock but the new seats made it much of a luxury car but on the Arteon R's side, the dark-themed interior with blue accents really smells like someone's dabbing a man's cologne all over. Manly, but it still snugs up to five people and is still as spacious as the old Arteon, except that with the addition of the Shooting Brake, you can store as much as 1,632 liters of load (compared to the saloon's 1,557 liter capacity).
The choice of engines has been revised as well on the new Arteon and with the first-ever 1.4 eHybrid joining alongside it, you'll have plenty to choose from. In the normal Arteon, the range-topper comes with the 2.0 TSi with the optional 4MOTION four-wheel-drive system and DSG. Producing 280PS of power and 400Nm of torque, it is capable of going from 0-100kph in 5.5 seconds and a top speed of 220kph.
The R, meanwhile, dons the same setup as the range-topper that I've mentioned earlier but because of the sporty credentials that will make it the most enjoyable luxury Volkswagen to drive for days, the top speed has been bumped to 270kph, faster than most expensive German luxury sportscars capped 20kph less than this. Not bad for a poor man's Audi S6 that is priced at under 64 grand! It's, even more, faster than the ancient Passat B6 R36!
On the dynamics side, the new Arteon feels like the previous model it replaces but with some slight improvements on the undersides that will make it more sensible and more comfortable. The R is different because thanks to its R-Performance Torque Vectoring that sends its torque in both axles and also between the rear wheels, it's the most fun Arteon to drive and you can find yourself trying out on the track, showing that it's about as much fun to drive as an Audi S6, well almost.
Of course, when I said new tech at the end, the Arteon's minor change got it because it's got a new Travel Assist feature joining the ranks of the IQ.DRIVE assist systems, allowing assisted driving up to 210kph, which is great for having a little cruise at the Autobahn while taking a sip of your favorite coffee but such can scare speedo boys behind the wheel straight. Of course, the Arteon's got plenty of driving aids such as Lane Assist, Emergency Braking Front Assist with Pedestrian Monitoring, Rear View camera, and others, so you'll have lots to talk about just how noticeable this new Arteon is.
New additions, revised styling, a revised interior, new powertrain, and new tech. This is what the recent minor change for the new Arteon summed up and thanks to such additions, it's no longer alone now.
Photo: Volkswagen
