Volkswagen's Big, Comfy Arteon Is Now An Unexpected 268bhp Sleeper
Volkswagen has turned the revised Arteon saloon into an unexpected sleeper with a fresh injection of performance from a more powerful engine.
A more potent version of the turbocharged four-cylinder EA888 engine brings a handy 268bhp to the table and, combined with a DSG transmission and permanent all-wheel drive, gives the Arteon enough pace to keep you busy.
We’ve had a powerful petrol Arteon before, but it was killed off by the tougher new Worldwide Harmonised Light Vehicle Test Procedure, or WLTP. This one is - on paper - down 8bhp but maintains the same performance stats.
The 0-62mph sprint comes about in 5.6 seconds, which is over two seconds faster than the next-most powerful petrol option and almost a second quicker than the BiTDI diesel with 236bhp. It also makes this big, comfy, luxurious saloon faster off the line than a Honda Civic Type R…
Top speed of the new version is capped by a 155mph limiter and potential average fuel economy is a very reasonable 40mpg. If only they’d make a shooting brake it could be an ideal CT-friendly family car.
Impressively, the all-wheel drive setup hasn’t eaten into the 563-litre boot, which extends to 1557 litres with the seats down. Two trim grades are on offer: Elegance, formerly a Skoda line, and R-Line. The latter adds larger wheels and sporty aesthetic upgrades. Prices start from £39,065 for the 268bhp Arteon in Elegance trim.
Comments
As much as I love the exterior, why on earth is the Interior so Dull! It’s the exact same interior as that on the Passat.
No wonder Ive barely seen a model since it came out.
And I’m one who looks out for cars everytime
I remember seeing two in a week, once. I was stunned. Haven’t seen one before or since, but I expect they’re more common around London and the south east of England.
Because Volkswagen. I think they are going for the JDM interior of 90ies award.
It’s a Volkswagen if you didn’t know. They aren’t really known for making the most interesting interiors.
We have quite a lot of them in Denmark. I often see them when I’m out for a drive
Why does this doesn’t exist in Malaysia?
I saw a Bentayga once in LDP highway, but never this or the new Passat. I guess Malaysians taste is way higher lol…
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268bhp seems unremarkable for a top of the range engine, are you sure thats not meant to be 286bhp? I ask because in Australia the only engine available is the detuned golf R engine with 213 kw (which is 286 bhp conveniently).
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I was just reading this when I drove past one on the M4
Reading while driving?
How cool would it be if the Arteon is available with as a shooting brake that is powered by Audi’s 5 cylinder engine and (highly unlikely but still) a manual gearbox
but that wont ever be happening because vw doesnt do shooting brake, only audi
A 286 hp saloon is a sleeper? Maybe 20 years ago that would be impressive, but this… I mean you can get a Toyota Camry with more power…
I was about to say something very similar. Give this thing 400hp then maybe itll be able to lug itself around and be called a sleeper.
Actually, the Camry is slower. Arteon accelerates 0–60 in 5.6 seconds whereas the Camry MY2018 does it in 5.8 seconds according to MotorTrend or Car And Driver. In addition, the Arteon comes with AWD and it only weighs 110 kgs more.
Doesn’t it already come with a 280bhp option with the 2.0l TSI.
I saw one in Virginia the other day (nearby VW HQ North America). It looks pretty damn good from the outside. Definitely caught my eye sitting in traffic…but those performance figures seem to need a little boost for today’s market.