7 Things I Learned After Driving The New VW Arteon

The Passat CC is no more. The regular Passat’s swoopier, plusher big brother has been usurped by this: the Arteon. It’s posher still - if not quite aiming for the end of the market targeted by the old Phaeton - and will be landing on UK shores this Autumn.

Building the Arteon is a curious move from VW given the potential for it to tread on the toes of an Audi model or two, but is it any good? Here’s what we gleaned from a day long test drive of the 276bhp petrol and 236bhp diesel variants at the car’s launch in Germany.

It looks stunning in the metal

Thanks to our first look at the thing at the Geneva Motor Show in March, we already knew the Arteon was quite the looker. But after spending the day with one, I like the way it looks even more. That grille-heavy front end looks fantastically imposing, and I love the way the headlights are integrated within.

Extra brownie points are awarded for the massive clamshell bonnet, and while the rear is less interesting to look at, it’s still pretty damn tidy back there. The whole shebang is finished off with a natty set of wavy 10-spoke, 20-inch rims, expected to be standard-fit in the UK.

The suspension settings are ridiculously intricate

The biggest surprise offered up by the Arteon? It goes much further than offering the usual ‘Comfort/Normal/Sport’ modes for the adaptive dampers: you get a damn slider to tune them to the exact stiffness you want. There are 43 different positions to choose from, and - amusingly - there’s one setting that’s above ‘Sport’ (as well as one below ‘Comfort’), effectively giving you a car you can turn up to 11.

The point of this? I’m honestly not sure. 43 position adaptive dampers might be semi acceptable (but still absurd) in something like a BMW M car, but in a wafty VW? It seems like a gimmick here, because of our next point…

It's no sports saloon

Despite the hilariously complex adaptive damper controls, this is not a sports car. However hard you drive it, the Arteon isn’t a car that thrills - it’s a comfort focused thing, and that’s just fine.

That’s not to say it’s a floppy mess when you pitch into a bend at a reasonable speed. Unlike the closely related, similar-sized Skoda Superb - which has a tendency to lean quite alarmingly - the Arteon remains fairly tidy during hard cornering, especially in the extra super sporty suspension mode.

Grip levels are decent, and the presence of VW Group’s Dynamic Steering - which tightens the steering ratio the more you turn the wheel - makes quick direction changes relatively easy in the sizeable Arteon. Don’t expect anything in the way of feedback, though.

The 276bhp petrol is quick, but doesn’t feel it

With a 0-62mph time of 5.6 seconds, the top-spec petrol Arteon is firmly in sleeper territory. It even has a surprisingly boisterous launch control system. Oh, and so does the 236bhp diesel, weirdly.

Other than when you’re playing about with the launch control though - a feature we doubt many Arteon buyers will use - it doesn’t feel all that quick. Getting the familiar EA888 2.0-litre turbo under the bonnet into its stride takes more revs than you might expect and the torquier diesel with its punchy mid-range feels quicker most of the time, despite being almost a second slower to 62mph.

It's stuffed full of tech

Keen to hammer home the premium angle of the Arteon, VW has festooned it in clever tech. We won’t go through everything as we’d be here all day, but there are a few stand-out features.

Firstly, it’s effectively semi autonomous thanks to advanced lane keeping assist and adaptive cruise control systems, which we’d rate above Volvo’s noticeably less smooth Pilot Assist. ‘Emergency Assist’ will slow the car and pull the car into a slower lane (if safe to do so) if it detects that the driver has suffered some sort of incapacitating medical issue.

Also of note is the Active Lighting System, which at higher speeds will ‘steer’ the headlight into a bend using GPS information, so it’s able to light up an approaching bend before you’ve turned the wheel.

Finally, the 360 degree camera system is worth mentioning. It has the usual classic Grand Theft Auto-style top down view, but there’s also a neat exterior view which can be rotated.

The waft game is strong

Comfort is definitely the Arteon’s strong suit. VW has worked hard to make the car ride well even with 20-inch rims stuffed into its wheel arches, and that’s paid off. So long as you leave the car in Comfort, you won’t have any complains about the ride, and - partly thanks to the use of double-glazed windows - noise levels are kept very low. Apart from the daft fake noise that’s pumped in when you put the diesel version in Sport. Boo.

MQB underpinnings and the associated transverse engine mounting (the Arteon’s main rivals use longitudinal arrangements) results in a spacious interior, helped by the fastback’s long wheelbase. Legroom in the back is impressive meanwhile, although some of the more abnormally tall journalists on the launch weren’t too impressed by the headroom.

It’s a niche car that’s hard to recommend

Pigeon-holing the Arteon isn’t easy. It’s aiming for cars like the BMW 4-series Gran Coupe and (awkwardly, given the family connection) the Audi A5, but it’s bigger and roomier than both. It certainly won’t be cheap: UK pricing hasn’t been revealed, although a starting point of around £38,000 is expected here.

Only the 236bhp diesel and 276bhp petrol models will be sold here initially, so it’s not exactly prime company car fodder. Is it worth a private buyer stumping up £40k over something like a BMW, Audi or Mercedes?

The trouble is, the Arteon doesn’t feel much more special or premium than the Passat, nor other VW MQB products. It’s certainly not nasty inside, but it’s not exactly plush either - the cabin is on the whole rather ordinary. The Skoda Superb 280 doesn’t feel distinctly different, ticks a lot of the same boxes and costs a whole lot less.

So the Arteon is not a car we can heartily recommend. To buy one of these, you have to really dig the styling, and you need to be the sort of person who insists of having something a little bit different, even if it’s not as convincing as the ‘mainstream’ options.

Those who do take the plunge will have themselves an affable, competent and comfortable car. Just not a compelling one.