Say Hello To The VW Arteon: The Passat's Posh Big Brother

Passat just not big or swanky enough for you? Fear not, as VW has an answer, and it’s called the Arteon.

It’s essentially a replacement for the recently discontinued Passat CC, although it’s been pushed further north of the CC and deeper into premium territory.

The five-door Arteon is wider and has a longer wheelbase than the Passat, giving more space inside. It also makes it an imposingly large thing in the metal - despite the relatively modest growth - particularly with the optional 20-inch wheels fitted.

It’s based on VW’s MQB platform, which means the usual range of transversely mounted petrol and diesel engines. The range kicks off with Wolfsburg’s new 1.5-litre TSI ‘Evo’ engine, ending with a 276bhp 2.0-litre TSI. The most powerful diesel meanwhile is good for 236bhp.

On the tech front, the Arteon gets the new Active Info Display system (VW’s take on Audi Virtual Cockpit, in other words) and Discover Pro infotainment system we’ve already seen in the new Golf. And yes, that does include the intriguing but slightly clunky gesture control system.

The lights are clever too, featuring a “predictive beam control” system that illuminates corners with a portion of the headlights using GPS data. The cruise control meanwhile will adjust its speed according to speed limit information, should you wish.

Want one? The range is expected to start in the region of £30,000 when it goes on sale in the UK later this year.