By Paul Gover.
The Volkswagen Arteon would probably sell a lot more strongly in Australia if it wore a different badge.
Yes, it’s that good.
If the Arteon rolled as an Audi, or a Benz, or a BMW, people would be far more likely to appreciate its strengths and add it to their shopping list.
As it is, sales of the Arteon have only ever been measured in hundreds. And not many of those.
It is better than the badge, but also sells in a space that people are deserting fast in favour of family-sized SUVs.
The Arteon is an old-school family-sized car that comes either as a hatchback sedan – the boot space is amazing – or a station wagon.
It’s lovely around town but positively excellent on a long-distance interstate trip, apart from the need to fill the tank – thanks to a high-tech, anti-pollution Petrol Particulate Filter – with premium unleaded. When prices can easily go over $2.00 a litre, and the Arteon’s tank is close to 70 litres, that gets costly …
But that’s a relatively minor grip against a car that is just as good as one of the Big Three luxury brands, without the price premium.
Volkswagen likes to describe itself as ‘premium for the people’ and the Arteon is definitely premium, from the subtle body shape to the final finishing in the cabin.
It also makes sense on the value rating, with pricing from $59,990 and a choice of both sedan and wagon, two turbo engines, and two trim levels.
Even the costliest Arteon only tips the scales at $68,990, as an all-wheel drive Shooting Brake – Euro code for wagon – with the more-powerful 206-kiloWatt engine that gives it a 0-100km/h sprint time below six seconds.
My test car is the basic Arteon, a 140-kiloWatt front-drive sedan, but I don’t feel short-changed.
The cabin finish is as good as it gets, it has a huge bank of digital displays in the dash, the rear-seat legroom is fine, and the LED headlights are excellent.
As a drive, it gets along swiftly enough – no-one in this family space really wants a sports car – with good brakes, a supple ride and and solid performance with a good overtaking surge thanks to the seven-speed DSG gearbox.
Best of all, it is quiet. Very quiet. At 110km/h it is a relaxed and enjoyable place to be covering the kilometres.
And then there is the lift-up tailgate, which reveals a boot as big as anything I can remember apart from the classic Saab 900 from the 1980s. The Arteon wagon should be just as good, or even better with extra depth in the load space.
As a wrap, there is very little to dislike about the Arteon.
The price is good, the quality is great, and it is an easy and rewarding drive.
It’s prone to black dust on the alloys from soft-compound brake pads, and the price of premium petrol is a negative, but that’s about it.
THE BASICS
Volkswagen Arteon
Price: from $59,990
Engine: 2-litre 4-cylinder turbo petrol
Power: 140kW/320Nm
Transmission: 7-speed DSG, front-wheel drive
Position: full-sized family sedan
Plus: almost everything
Minus: almost nothing
THE TICK: a seriously good car
Score: 9/10
