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| The 2019 Volkswagen Arteon 2.0T SEL Premium R-Line w/4MOTION. |
The Arteon replaces the Volkswagen CC, which was essentially a Passat sedan with a sleeker roofline. The Arteon is bigger, more powerful...and a hatchback.
Both the Passat and the Arteon have a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine, but the Passat's makes 174 horsepower. The Arteon's? 268. That's the kind of difference you feel. There's an eight-speed automatic transmission and VW's 4MOTION all-wheel drive system. EPA fuel economy estimate is 20 city/27 highway.
The Arteon is also packing a variable-ratio progressive steering system, the XDS cross-differential system, which uses the brakes to maintain power to the outside wheel, improving cornering, and DCC adaptive chassis control, with fifteen different suspension firmness settings that it can apply to each wheel independently based on driving conditions.
Being larger than the Passat, there's more room for people and things. And the fit, finish and materials are a cut above what's offered in the Passat as well. Plus, the standard equipment list is fairly impressive. Here's what you get for a base price of $46,710 (our tester was the top of the line---the base Arteon starts at $35.845):
- 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.
- Electronic parking brake.
And that is that. Add $995 destination charge and the bottom line on the window sticker is $47,705.
But that number---that's proving to be a problem. The CC was a car that people guessed cost $50,000 based on its looks---and even though it cost less than $40,000 in top-of-the-line trim, not enough people bought it.
Now, Volkswagen has built a very nearly $50,000 car---and put the performance and feature content in to justify it---and not enough people are buying it, either. Despite incentives that started almost from the time the car went on sale last year and have, according to CarsDirect, as much as doubled (from $2,500 to $5,000) in the nine months since.
Those incentives apply to leftover 2019 model year Arteons. Maybe you wondered why we were testing a 2019 car in early 2020? Go to VW.com and hit the Arteon page---there is no 2020 yet. They're clearing the 2019s, still. And when we finally see 2020 Arteons, they'll likely be mildly face-lifted.
None of this reflects on the Arteon itself. It's a terrific sedan, and if you can grab one like the one we tested for five grand off sticker, it's hard to find fault with doing that.
But in bringing the Arteon to these shores (it's been on sale in Europe since 2017), at this time, when sedans are in decline, with a price tag that is higher than any sedan they've marketed since the ill-fated Phaeton 16 years ago, VW was playing against all the odds.
Those incentives apply to leftover 2019 model year Arteons. Maybe you wondered why we were testing a 2019 car in early 2020? Go to VW.com and hit the Arteon page---there is no 2020 yet. They're clearing the 2019s, still. And when we finally see 2020 Arteons, they'll likely be mildly face-lifted.
None of this reflects on the Arteon itself. It's a terrific sedan, and if you can grab one like the one we tested for five grand off sticker, it's hard to find fault with doing that.
But in bringing the Arteon to these shores (it's been on sale in Europe since 2017), at this time, when sedans are in decline, with a price tag that is higher than any sedan they've marketed since the ill-fated Phaeton 16 years ago, VW was playing against all the odds.
