Review - Volkswagen Arteon

Sitting atop its existing sedan, the Passat, the Volkswagen Arteon offers buyers a spacious platform filled with clever tech and a choice of two engines across both sedan and shooting brake (wagon) body styles. 

So, after taking some time on the sidelines, how does the Volkswagen Arteon perform as a luxurious sedan, and how does it stack up against its rivals? Let’s find out. 

Starting Price: $61,740

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Volkswagen Arteon (ALLTRACK 162TSI) Specifications

For more details and other variants, check Volkswagen Passat car page.

How Much Does It Cost?

The Volkswagen Arteon lineup kicks off from $61,740 for the 140TSI Elegance, which is priced at $63,740 for the Shooting Brake wagon body shape. 

From here, the lineup tops out in the form of the Arteon 206TSI R-Line variant, which is priced at $68,740 for the sedan and $70,740 for the R-Line Shooting Brake. 

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What Features Does the Volkswagen Arteon Have?

The entry-level Volkswagen Arteon 140TSI Elegance comes riding on a set of 19-inch alloys, and receives matrix LED headlights and tail lights, an adaptive suspension system, surround-view camera, a hands-free boot lift, power-folding mirrors, a 10.25-inch digital driver’s display paired with a 9.2-inch infotainment system with Apple CarPlay, Android Auto and DAB+ radio, heated and ventilated Nappa leather seats, three-zone climate control, heads-up display, ambient lighting, a set of front and rear parking sensors and a full-sized alloy spare tyre. 

Moving to the 206TSI R-Line adds a set of 20-inch alloys and a 4MOTION all-wheel-drive system, as well as an R-Line exterior styling package and a set of heated sport seats wrapped in Nappa leather. 

Range Features: 

• 19-inch alloys 

• Matrix LED headlights & tail lights 

• Adaptive suspension 

• Surround-view camera 

• Hands-free boot lift 

• 10.25-inch digital driver’s display 

• Front & rear parking sensors 

• Adaptive cruise control 9.2-inch infotainment system with Android Auto, Apple CarPlay & DAB+

• Heated & ventilated Nappa leather seats 

• Heads-up display 

• Ambient lighting

• Three-zone climate control 

• 20-inch alloys (206TSI R-Line)

• 4MOTION all-wheel-drive system (206TSI R-Line)

• R-Line styling package (206TSI R-Line)

• Heated Nappa leather sport seats (206TSI R-Line)

Volkswagen Arteon Colours

The Volkswagen Arteon is available in a range of colours, including Urano Grey, Pyrite Silver Metallic, Pure White, Oryx White, Lapiz Blue Metallic, Kings Red Metallic and Deep Black Pearl.

Is it Comfortable to Drive? 

Stepping inside the Volkswagen Arteon and grabbing the wheel, it takes just a few minutes to realise just how sublime the ride quality is inside VW’s premium limousine.  

With a long wheelbase, the Arteon feels stable at high speeds, giving the driver confidence and those seated in the rear seats more stability over some of Australia’s road surfaces. 

On that note, the Arteon thankfully receives a suspension system with adaptive dampers, meaning you have the archetypal firm and supportive ride quality around town, that becomes more accommodating to bumps at high speeds. 

This gives the Arteon some serious refinement across the majority of Australian road surfaces, making it an extremely adaptable sedan for all types of driving. 

Power is supplied by a turbocharged four-cylinder that kicks up 140kW/320Nm of torque, which is paired with a seven-speed DSG transmission that sends power to the front wheels in the base model. The power delivery is subtle, and gets the Arteon up to speed in a modest manner, although it is undeniably smooth.  

Power increases to 206kW/400Nm in the 206TSI, which gives the Arteon significantly more push off the line, combined with the confidence of an all-wheel drive platform, and feels like the perfect engine to be motivating such a large vehicle. 

Whichever engine you pick, power delivery is linear and smooth, while the DSG transmission offers lightning-fast shifts that you’ll barely notice. The dual-clutch transmission can, however, be slow to respond at low speeds and while parking. 

Around town, the Arteon makes short journeys and commutes a pleasure, completely eliminating noise from the outside world and making it feel as though you’re piloting a large, plush and comfortable lounge room. This also makes long journeys a simple task, eating up the kilometres in style and refinement. 

All up, the Arteon matches the driving comfort and sophistication on offer in significantly more expensive European flagships at a relatively modest price. 

Is it Practical and Spacious? 

As the largest car in Volkswagen’s sedan lineup, the Arteon offers passengers in both the front and rear a huge amount of space, comfort and a clever European approach to cabin practicality. 

Up front, the cabin is simple, yet sleek. The uncrowded design allows the driver to keep their eyes on the road, while the passenger can navigate the infotainment system. It all feels very familiar to the Volkswagen brand, which has become a byword for quality, and exceptionally well-crafted interior designs. 

There’s no less than three storage options in the central tunnel alone, which is complimented by a generous amount of space in the door bins either side, a large glovebox, sunglasses holder, and a small storage area for the driver. 

Passengers in the second row of the Arteon’s cabin benefit from the long-wheelbase platform, which offers some of the most impressive legroom we’ve seen in the segment, combined with a well-appointed cabin and their very own climate settings for the rear of the cabin. The second row features a heap of shoulder and headroom, and also offers a pair of ISOFIX anchors for those with a growing family. 

In terms of cargo capacity, the standard Arteon has a boot rated at 565L, which is a huge amount of storage that rivals, even exceeds what’s on offer in a midsize SUV, while the Arteon Shooting Brake increases this to a massive 590L. 

All up, the Arteon offers space and practicality that outpaces a number of its key rivals within the segment and punches above its weight to make large SUVs seem crammed. 

Is it Safe? 

The Volkswagen Arteon has been awarded ANCAP’s maximum five-star safety rating, scoring 96% for adult and 85% for child occupant protection, 85% for vulnerable road user protection and 74% for its safety assist technologies. 

As standard, the Volkswagen Arteon comes packaged with autonomous emergency braking with pedestrian detection, active steering assistance between lanes, adaptive cruise control, active blind-spot monitoring, lane departure warnings, rear cross-traffic alerts and driver attention monitoring. 

Is it Fuel Efficient?

Volkswagen’s Arteon 140TSI is rated at 6.4L per 100km on a combined cycle, which is pretty efficient for a vehicle for this size. The range-topping 206TSI offers more power, which increases its fuel use to 7.5L per 100km on a combined cycle. 

Our Verdict: Is the Volkswagen Arteon Worth it?

The Volkswagen Arteon is an immensely comfortable vehicle, and makes you question the need to spend six-digits on a fully-fledged executive sedan. 

While its absence from the Australian market was brief, the Arteon was certainly missed from the segment which has been significantly outpaced by SUVs. Thankfully, though, for buyers looking to step out from the crowd of SUVs, the Arteon provides a sublime platform that is comfortable on Australian roads and refined on each and every drive. 

For those reasons and a whole load more, we recommend adding the Volkswagen Arteon to your shortlist of premium sedans. 

On that note, if you’re in the market for a new car, you can get a free quote and see how much OnlineAuto can save you on your next car, or call us on 1300 719 925 

Five Specs You Need to Know

1. Five-year, unlimited KM warranty

2. 12-month/15,000km service intervals  

3. Five-star ANCAP safety rating 

4. 565L boot space for sedan; 590L for Shooting Brake wagon 

5. 6.4L/100km fuel economy for 140TSI; 7.5L/100km for 206TSI

Pros 

• Well-crafted, stylish and practical interior 

• Smooth engine and transmission combination 

• Impressive fuel economy from base model 

• SUV-rivalling storage options 

Cons

• Fiddly capacitive touch steering wheel buttons 

• Underwhelming power from base model 

• Some budget interior trim materials- but you’ll struggle to find them 

OnlineAuto Rating: 9.5/10

Volkswagen Arteon Competition