Just as promised, Volkswagen has officially revealed the mid-life facelift for the Arteon. This not only updates the look of the four-door coupe but also adds new flavors, such as the Arteon Shooting Brake that's also available with an R performance powertrain.
The Arteon R Shooting Brake looks like precisely the kind of German car Americas might like. And we say this not based on the official photos, which don't paint it in the best light, but on a couple of presentation videos from Deutschland. Isn't that blue thing the coolest VW in a long time?
First, let's talk about styling. The Arteon R Shooting Brake, and indeed the normally-shaped Arteon R, have a new bumper design with large air intakes and substantial piano black sections. Like the new Golf GTI, this has a light strip connecting the headlights and badge.
What's under the hood? Only a little bit of disappointment. Rumors initially talked about a five- or six-cylinder engine, but because the Arteon R isn't coming to America, Volkswagen believes it can make the best of a 2.0 TSI rated at 320 PS (315 hp). At least it has quad exhaust pipes, which is nice.
Don't get us wrong, we're not disappointed with the Arteon R Shooting Brake. It's just that the body looks faster just standing still. On the 2021 Arteon models, the R-Line kit looks toned down. German designers have made minute changes here and there, such as a chrome strip at the bottom of the bumper, new DRLs, taillight graphics, and “ARTEON” script on the rear hatch.
The interior looks much better than before, thanks to a new MIB 3 infotainment screen and chunky steering wheel, both of which are shared with the European Passat. Volkswagen has done a nice job improving the ambiance, though it's still not on par with real luxury four-door coupes, such as the A5 Sportback or the Mercedes CLS-Class. But those are more expensive and lack the Shooting Brake option.
The Europeans are also getting a plug-in hybrid engine choice for the Arteon. It's the same setup as in other cars (Passat, Skoda Superb, SEAT Tarraco), using a 1.4-liter turbo engine to deliver up to 215 hp and 295 lb-ft (400 Nm). The 13-kWh battery also gives a nice EV range of 35 miles or 56 km.
VW USA has already announced that the refresh will be offered for the 2021 model year without most of the cool stuff from Europe. A 2-liter turbo making 268 hp and 258 pound-feet (350 Nm) will remain the only available engine, still hooked up to an 8-speed automatic and available with AWD on the top trim levels.
Mihnea's favorite cars have already been built, the so-called modern classics from the '80s and '90s. He also loves local car culture from all over the world, so don't be surprised to see him getting excited about weird Japanese imports, low-rider VWs out of Germany, replicas from Russia or LS swaps down in Florida. Full profile
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