The Volkswagen Arteon hasn't even been revealed yet and already the rumor mill is churning away. The latest suggests that a shooting brake version is on the table.
Not drawing a parallel with Mercedes-Benz is impossible. The Arteon is designed to be the successor of the CC (so hard not to say Passat), which was in turn inspired by the famous CLS-Class.
And the second generation of the CLS, the one we have right now, also got a Shooting Brake version. So VW deserves 0 points for creativity.
Of course, approval for glorified Volkswagen wagon won't come straight away. First, they need to launch the regular version, see what the reaction is and then build a business case.
“The first thing we must see is the market reaction to the standard car. If we are to make derivatives of this car then it needs a good base, but we do think that a shooting brake is absolutely the sort of car that could work. First, it needs a business case, but it looks quite good," said Elmar-Marius Licharz, VW’s head of full-size product lines, in an interview with Autocar.
But why are they considering the Shooting Brake version in the first place? Surely, the rumored coupe version of the Tiguan is a much more important product. But VW believes the Arteon SB can draw attention to the brand through its sheer force of design.
So why do we have pictures of a car that's not been approved yet? Well, the Arteon's design was already previewed by a concept called the Sport Coupe GTE, and Remco M thought about a Shooting Brake version as early as May 2015.
The Passat headlights might be wrong, but this is clearly an avant-garde project for Volkswagen. But it's not an original art piece, plus it's one that Mercedes couldn't make work. Another problem might be that customers simply don't need a bigger trunk, since the regular sedan-shaped Arteon will have a liftback opening like the Audi A7 Sportback. Between that and the larger rears seats, a bike should fit in there without any problems.
And the second generation of the CLS, the one we have right now, also got a Shooting Brake version. So VW deserves 0 points for creativity.
Of course, approval for glorified Volkswagen wagon won't come straight away. First, they need to launch the regular version, see what the reaction is and then build a business case.
“The first thing we must see is the market reaction to the standard car. If we are to make derivatives of this car then it needs a good base, but we do think that a shooting brake is absolutely the sort of car that could work. First, it needs a business case, but it looks quite good," said Elmar-Marius Licharz, VW’s head of full-size product lines, in an interview with Autocar.
But why are they considering the Shooting Brake version in the first place? Surely, the rumored coupe version of the Tiguan is a much more important product. But VW believes the Arteon SB can draw attention to the brand through its sheer force of design.
So why do we have pictures of a car that's not been approved yet? Well, the Arteon's design was already previewed by a concept called the Sport Coupe GTE, and Remco M thought about a Shooting Brake version as early as May 2015.
The Passat headlights might be wrong, but this is clearly an avant-garde project for Volkswagen. But it's not an original art piece, plus it's one that Mercedes couldn't make work. Another problem might be that customers simply don't need a bigger trunk, since the regular sedan-shaped Arteon will have a liftback opening like the Audi A7 Sportback. Between that and the larger rears seats, a bike should fit in there without any problems.