Volkswagen is adding the avant-garde Arteon Gran Turismo to its lineup and will reveal the vehicle to a global audience for the first time at the Geneva International Motor Show (9 to 19 March). Volkswagen Head Designer Klaus Bischoff says: “The Arteon combines the design elements of a classic sports car with the elegance and space of a fastback. It’s an avant-garde business-class Gran Turismo that speaks to the heart and head alike.”
Tobias Sühlmann, responsible for the Arteon’s exterior design, further explains: “The athletic lines of the Arteon embody a highly functional overall concept. Form and function find common ground here in a progressive way. Thanks to its long wheelbase, stretched roofline, coupe-style fastback design and large rear hatch, this Gran Turismo provides more space and flexibility than conventional sedans.”
The new Arteon was designed on the Modular Transverse Matrix (MQB). The architecture allows for a long, 111.9- inch wheelbase and for short overhangs on the 191.4-inch long body. With a width of 73.7 inches and a height of 56.2 inches, the Arteon delivers truly dynamic proportions and a visual starting point for the Volkswagen designers.
One of the most important design elements of the Arteon is the completely new front section. Stand-out features include a hood that extends a long way forward and over both fenders and a radiator grille that encompasses the vehicle’s full width. The standard LED headlights and Daytime Running Lights combine with the chrome-plated crossbars of the radiator grille and hood. The powerful shoulder section at the rear, the muscular fenders, the waistline, and the flared wheelarches are also reminiscent of a sports car.
Just 24 months ago, Volkswagen unveiled the Sport Coupé Concept GTE, which was one of the stars of the Geneva Auto Show in 2015. Klaus Bischoff said then that: “The Sport Coupé Concept GTE is another milestone of expressive design. Unmistakably reinvented, from the first to the last stroke. A stylistic compass. In this concept car, Volkswagen is not only presenting the new design of a new model, but also initial glimpses of a new era in design.”
Now that Volkswagen is showing the production version, Klaus Bischoff adds: “The fact that the Arteon has gone into production with only minimal design changes from the show car demonstrates Volkswagen’s appetite for innovation. Exactly like the concept car, the Arteon generates that ‘I want it’ feeling. As forecast in 2015, this car does indeed mark the start of a new design era.”
The Arteon takes its place in the Volkswagen model range above the Passat. The new Volkswagen is being produced at the Emden plant and will go on sale in mid June in Germany.
The Arteon reinterprets the Gran Turismo concept with its combination of avant-garde design, sportiness, great flexibility and generous space. There is excellent legroom in the back and generous luggage space of 19.9 to 55.0 cubic feet. On the technical front, the new Volkswagen impresses with six highly efficient engines with power outputs that range from 148 to 276 horsepower, front-wheel and 4Motion® all-wheel drive, plus digitalized displays and controls. Further features include the Active Info Display (Volkswagen Digital Cockpit in the U.S.), a headup display and the new Discover Pro infotainment system with a 9.2-inch glass screen and gesture control.
The Arteon’s innovative driver assistance systems match its avant-garde looks. Three of the new technologies stand out here. First, the latest generation Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) now takes into account data such as speed limits and/or route information and automatically adjusts the speed accordingly. Thanks to the navigation system’s GPS and road data, the new dynamic cornering light system with predictive beam control recognizes when a bend is approaching and is already lighting it before the driver actively turns into it. Further added safety is provided by the second generation of Emergency Assist: if the driver becomes incapacitated by illness, the system not only (within its system limits) slows the car down, but now also steers it into the nearside lane, traffic behind permitting.
Despite the high-end looks and equipment, the Arteon is available at an attractive price. In parallel with the high-quality base version, the car will be available in two exclusive equipment lines: the Elegance and R-Line®. The Arteon Elegance is focused heavily on luxury and design. The Arteon R-Line, meanwhile, puts sportiness at its heart. It is possible for the vehicle to be extensively personalized.
Every Arteon model has the following standard features:
Exterior
- Chrome strips on side windows
- LED taillights
- LED headlamps with LED Daytime Running Lights
- Aluminum-alloy wheels
- Keyless Go access
Interior
- Stainless steel door kickplates, front and rear
- Composition Media infotainment system, including eight loudspeakers, AUX-IN and USB
- Electronically controlled air conditioning system
- Leather multifunction steering wheel (with paddle shifters on DSG models)
- Six-way power adjustable front seats
Driver assistance and handling systems
- Driver Alert System
- Progressive steering system
The Arteon Elegance includes the following custom details:
Exterior
- Chrome door mirror caps
- LED taillights with dynamic indicator light function
- 18-inch ‘Muscat’ aluminum-alloy wheels
- Continuous chrome trim strip on lower bodywork
- Heated windshield washer jets
Interior
- Contrast stitching on seat covers and floormats
- Aluminum-look pedal covers
- Alcantara/ “Vienna” leather seating surfaces
- Heatable front seats
The Arteon R-Line includes the following custom details:
Exterior
- High gloss black finish of the C-signature in the front air intakes
- Leather multifunction R-Line design sport steering wheel
- 18-inch ‘Sebring’ aluminum-alloy wheels
- Heated windshield washer jets
- Special R-Line bumpers
- Continuous chrome trim strip on lower bodywork
- Chrome-plated exhaust tips
Interior
- ‘Titan Black’ headliner
- Stainless steel door kickplates front and rear (with R-Line logo on front plates}
- Aluminum-look pedal covers
- Alcantara/ “Vienna” leather (‘Vienna’) seating surfaces with R-Line logo
- Special R-Line steering wheel
- Heatable front seats
Powertrain
The new Arteon is launching with a range of six turbocharged direct-injection engines. All are four-cylinder units: the entry-level petrol (TSI) and diesel (TDI®) engines each develop 148 horsepower. The most powerful TSI gasoline engine delivers 276 hp, while the most powerful TDI produces 236 hp.
All the engines, except the 148-hp TSI in Germany, can be combined with a DSG dual-clutch automatic transmission. For the TSI, the DSG is standard for the 188-hp engine and above. In the case of the TDI, it is fitted as standard with the 236-hp version. The most powerful TSI and TDI models also have 4Motion all-wheel drive as standard, while this is available as an option for the 188-hp TDI. All other models have front-wheel drive.
NEDC fuel consumption for the 276-hp gasoline engine is: 25.6 mpg on the urban cycle, 38.6 mpg on the extraurban cycle, and a combined rating of 32.2 mpg.
The Arteon’s engines in summary:
| Gasoline | Output | Gearbox / Drive system |
| 1.5 TSI Evo | 110 kW / 148 hp | 6-speed / optional 7-speed DSG (DSG not in Germany) |
| 2.0 TSI | 140 kW / 188 hp | 7-speed DSG |
| 2.0 TSI | 206 kW / 276 hp | 7-speed DSG plus 4Motion |
| Diesel | Output | Gearbox / Drive system |
| 2.0 TDI | 110 kW / 148 hp | 6-speed / optional 7-speed DSG |
| 2.0 TDI | 140 kW / 188 hp | 6-speed / optional 7-speed DSG / optional 4Motion |
| 2.0 TDI | 176 kW / 236 hp | 7-speed DSG plus 4Motion |
