VW Arteon 2.0 TSI 280 HP Sounds Dull in 0-100 KM/H Sprint Video

It won't be available in America until 2018, but for Europe, they're offering a 2.0-liter turbo in place of the V6. That's the same thing that happened with the Skoda Superb, where it also made the car faster yet less exciting.

Try as it might to pretend that it's not the Passat, the Arteon has the same specs. This EA888 four-cylinder delivers the same 280 PS and 350 Nm, that's despite VW recently upping the output to 310 PS and 400 Nm in things like the R and S3.

Despite using 245 tires instead of 235s, the Arteon is slower than a Passat to 100 km/h: 5.6 seconds vs. 5.5s. Can you guess why? That's right, it's way heavier, tipping the scales at 1,716kg in this configuration vs. the 1,540kg of a Passat with the same AWD and DSG.

We consider this the biggest Achilles heel of "four-door coupe" formula. Usually, the coupe is lighter than the family car it's based on. But when creating a stylish yet practical four-door coupe, extra equipment is often added. We saw a similar oddity with the GLC Coupe being heavier than the regular model. But the Arteon is admittedly larger than the Passat.

And that brings us neatly to our next point, which is the sound of the engine. We can accept that VW "forgot" the extra 30 horsepower and 50 Nm of torque. But we can't forgive them for using fake exhaust tips which are just pieces of trim. The fellows from Affalterbach could teach them a thing or two, as the GLC 300 with optional AMG exhaust makes the right kind of four-cylinder noises.

The only upside is that the Arteon has the Soundaktor from the GTI/R, which vibrates the windshield frame to produce fake engine sounds in the cabin.