30 Minutes With: The 2019 Volkswagen Arteon 2.0T SEL Premium R-Line w/4MOTION

The 2019 Volkswagen Arteon 2.0T SEL Premium R-Line w/4MOTION.

Publisher's note: Normally, the cars you read about here at TireKicker are loaned to us by the press fleets of the various manufacturers for several days. Seven is typical.  Occasionally, we'll get a longer period of time, and sometimes it'll only be three or four days.  Our "30 Minutes With" series features cars we spent half an hour driving during the just-concluded Western Automotive Journalists Media Day in Monterey, California.

Needless to say, these are quick drives and brief impressions that we hope to be able to flesh out with a full review of the vehicle at some point in the near future.

Media Days is a driving program, with journalists taking cars from the staging area at Quail Lodge in Carmel Valley over Laureles Grade and back or off-road on the acclaimed Land Rover Experience on the grounds of Quail Lodge.

My tenth and final drive for the day was the new 2019 Volkswagen Arteon.

2019 Volkswagen Arteon 2.0T Premium R-Line w/4MOTION.

The Arteon replaces the Volkswagen CC, a sedan we drove a few times and loved here at TireKicker.   The knock on the CC was that it was just a Passat with a sloping roofline,  That may have been true, but I had people stopping me to ask what it was, and offering up guesses as to its sticker price that invariably landed between $50,000 and $60,000.

Regardless, the CC didn't find as many buyers as hoped, so the Arteon is an actual move upscale---less Passat, more its own machine.  And this time the sloping roof has a purpose, for the Arteon is actually a hatchback.

2019 Volkswagen Arteon 2.0T Premium R-Line w/4MOTION interior.

$46,210 is the base price for the 2019 Volkswagen Arteon 2.0T SEL Premium R-Line w/4MOTION, which brings a massive list of standard equipment.

• 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine (268 horsepower as opposed to the 200 in the old VW CC).
• 4MOTION all-wheel drive.
• Eight-speed automatic transmission.
• Engine start/stop.
• XDS electronic differential lock.
• Multi-mode DCC adaptive chassis control.
• Four-wheel independent suspension.
• Electro-mechanical power steering with variable assistance.
• Anti-lock disc brakes.
• Anti-slip regulation and engine brake assist.
• Electronic brake force distribution and hydraulic brake assist.
• Electronic stability control and electronic differential lock.
• Intelligent crash response system.
• Rear view camera.
• Tire pressure monitoring.
• 19-inch alloy wheels.
• Automatic LED headlights with LED daytime running lamps and LED taillights.
• Adaptive front lighting and dynamic cornering lights.
• Power-folding, heated, power-adjustable side mirrors with memory.
• Rain-sensing variable intermittent wipers.
• Power tilting and sliding panoramic sunroof.
• R-Line grille, front bumper, and exterior trim with black rear deck lid lip spoiler.
• Climatronic three-zone automatic climate control with second-row air vents and control panel in second row.
• Heated, leather-wrapped, multi-function R-Line steering wheel with shift paddles.
• Heated, 12-way power front seats with four-way power lumbar support.
• Driver's seat position memory.
• Actively ventilated front seats with driver's seat power massage feature.
• 60/40 split-folding rear seat with fold-down armrest.
• Heated rear seats (outboard positions) with separate controls.
• Nappa leather seating surfaces. 
• Black headliner.
• Auto-dimming interior rearview mirror.
• Adjustable ambient interior lighting, front footwell lights and illuminated vanity mirrors.
• Stainless steel pedal cluster and footrest.
• R-Line door sill scuff plates.
• Overhead view camera
• Volkswagen Digital Cockpit.
• Parking steering assistant and park distance control, front and rear.
• Adaptive cruise control with Stop & Go.
• Forward collision warning and autonomous braking with pedestrian monitoring.
• Active blind spot monitor with rear traffic alert.
• Lane keeping system.
• High-beam control.
• Hill hold control.
• Remote engine start, keyless access and pushbutton start.
• Hands-free easy open and easy close rear hatch.
• Eight-inch touchscreen navigation system with 700-watt premium Dynaudio  AM/FM/HDRadio and CD player, with USB, SiriusXM, and Bluetooth.
• Electonic parking brake.

Again, all standard for $46,210.

2019 Volkswagen Arteon.

It's quick, it's beautiful, it's useful and it's packed with features.  There's a lot of promise in the new Volkswagen Arteon.