Quite a lot of styling tweaks make the Arteon much more engaging.
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The Volkswagen Arteon is a really good automobile that no person’s shopping for. OK, no person is a bit harsh, however with fewer than 3,000 models offered within the US via September of this yr, the Arteon is among the slowest-selling vehicles from a mainstream automaker. And that is a rattling disgrace.
LikeLots of ordinary infotainment techSmooth driving dynamicsGreat fashion, inside and outside
Don’t LikeLacks the punch of some competitorsSloping roof means poor rear headroom
“It’s definitely better than 400 units a month,” a Volkswagen government stated of the Arteon throughout an interview earlier this yr. But actually, at this level, even 400 models a month could be an enchancment. So within the hopes of setting the struggling Arteon on a greater course, Volkswagen is giving it plenty of considerate updates for 2021, each single one in every of which makes this stable sedan even simpler to love.Visually, the Arteon’s smooth silhouette does not change (that is a superb factor). The frameless home windows are cool and the hatchback form makes this sedan tremendous purposeful. Part of the 2021 redesign, outlined air intakes flank both aspect of the entrance bumper, and the R-Line fashions have an LED mild strip that spans the width of the fascia, cleanly built-in into the grille bars. Restyled 18- and 20-inch wheels can be found (along with a set of 19s that carry over from the final Arteon), and a pair further paint colours are on the docket, too.
The greatest updates are literally discovered contained in the Arteon, the place the cabin will get an intensive zhushing-up. The dashboard design is a bit more upscale and there is a redesigned (and Arteon-specific) steering wheel with haptic contact controls. New air vents line the highest of the sprint, and 30 ambient lighting colours span the width of the cabin, flowing into the digital gauge cluster and alongside the doorways, each entrance and rear. Finally, Volkswagen’s previous, frumpy-looking local weather controls are gone and of their place you may discover a swanky new digital/contact setup, although oddly, not like the steering wheel, these buttons haven’t any haptic suggestions. Weird, proper?In addition to the usual digital gauges, each Arteon comes with Volkswagen’s MIB3 infotainment system, housed on an 8-inch touchscreen. MIB3 has embedded navigation, in addition to wi-fi Apple CarPlay, Android Auto and VW’s App Connect smartphone integration. The MIB3 system is comparatively simple to make use of, with menu buttons that robotically current themselves when the system detects your grubby fingers approaching.
The 2021 Arteon’s inside is manner higher than earlier than.
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Generally talking, the Arteon has a premium aura that is been lacking from quite a lot of Volkswagen’s current merchandise. It has the high-quality match and end I bear in mind from the corporate’s older vehicles — an attribute that actually set VWs other than different mainstream producers. The seats are supportive and comfy, they usually’re heated and cooled on my totally loaded SEL Premium R-Line tester. The sloping roofline type of impedes rear headroom, however there is a stunning quantity of legroom, so simply slouch, I assume. Plus, remember, you may fold the again seats flat, revealing 56.2 cubic toes of cargo house. That’s enormous.
There are no notable mechanical adjustments for the 2021 Arteon, however I all the time favored the best way the previous one drove, so I’m not complaining. A 2.0-liter turbocharged I4 is the one engine obtainable, with 268 horsepower, 258 pound-feet of torque and an 8-speed automated transmission. The base Arteon SE is barely obtainable with front-wheel drive, however 4Motion all-wheel drive is non-compulsory on the SEL and normal on the SEL Premium.The Arteon is not essentially fast, however the turbo punch is sufficient to get this four-door up and out of its personal manner. The transmission does generally tend to carry gears leading to a little bit of drone throughout acceleration — to the purpose the place one passenger truly requested if the automobile had a CVT — however gear-changes are nonetheless fast and easy once they do lastly occur. Selecting Sport mode sharpens the throttle, transmission and steering calibration, and there is a Custom setting the place you may set a complete bunch of driving parameters to your liking. Me? I desire to only go away it in Normal and even head over to Comfort. The quiet, refined nature of the Arteon is finest skilled in these settings, with properly tuned steering, easy low-end torque, good cornering traits and a compliant trip due to the adaptive dampers — even on the SEL Premium’s 20-inch wheels.A full-width LED mild strip is built-in into the grille bars on loaded SEL Premium fashions.
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Small bonus: The 2021 Arteon is barely extra fuel-efficient than its predecessor, not less than on the freeway cycle. Comparing 2020 and 2021 mannequin yr Arteons, front-drive variations are each EPA-estimated to return 22 mpg metropolis, however whereas the previous automobile was rated at 29 mpg freeway, the brand new model will get 32 mpg. Stepping as much as all-wheel drive reduces these figures barely, to 20 metropolis and 31 freeway. Even so, after every week of blended driving, I’m seeing a median properly above the EPA’s 24-mpg mixed ranking.The base Arteon comes outfitted with forward-collision help, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, rain-sensing wipers and some different niceties, however in order for you issues like full-speed adaptive cruise management or LED headlights, it’s important to pony up for the SEL. The solely bits of driver-assistance tech the SEL Premium provides are entrance and rear park distance management, in addition to automated parking help.Pricing for the 2021 Arteon begins at $38,190 together with $1,195 for vacation spot, and you may’t get into an all-wheel-drive model for lower than $44,590. Go for the gold and also you’re taking a look at $48,190 out the door for an SEL Premium R-Line.This shapely sedan additionally has a hatchback for added versatility.
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The Arteon is type of a bizarre tweener within the sedan house; Volkswagen says it targets the Acura TLX and Nissan Maxima as rivals, in addition to entry-level luxurious sedans. The most evident rival is the wonderful Kia Stinger, which prices much less on the bottom finish and will be had with a 365-hp twin-turbo V6 on increased trims. In reality, the Stinger is at the moment outselling the Arteon greater than three to 1 up to now in 2020. And, properly, good because the Arteon is, the Stinger GT is extra entertaining to drive and is each bit as purposeful, so it is most likely the best way I’d go. On the opposite hand, if it is consolation and tech you are after, the Arteon probably makes extra sense. But at that time, so do quite a lot of entry-level luxurious sedans, to not point out a complete bunch of compact crossovers.It’s an odd downside to have: Being so likable and purposeful, but being pigeonholed into area of interest standing since you’re preventing with so many car segments all of sudden. The Arteon is extra engaging and extra refined than earlier than, and it is a automobile I’d be fast to advocate. But till Volkswagen throws some extra advertising {dollars} its manner — or till customers’ tastes start to shift — I’m afraid this one will all the time be a low-volume participant, even when it deserves a complete lot extra consideration.