By Ian Strachan.
Volkswagen launched the stylish Arteon back in 2017 to blend sportiness with elegance in a distinctive executive car which would stand out from the crowd.
Now Volkswagen has added practicality to the mix with the Arteon Shooting Brake. And the clever people at VW have managed to produce an estate car which is every bit as elegant as its saloon car brother, with the advantage of lots of extra space.
The Arteon is also now available as a plug-in hybrid with the 1.4 litre petrol engine helped by a 115PS electric motor, giving a fuel-free range of up to 38 miles and better overall fuel economy.
The Volkswagen Arteon Shooting Brake has flowing, sculpted lines, a long bonnet, narrow windows, beefy 19 inch alloys (a £405 option) and a cleanly-designed back end, which combine to make it look both classy and sporty. It has a roomy and well-appointed interior, and the 1.4 litre 218 PS petrol and electric eHybrid version which I drove has impressive performance.
The exterior design has completely thrown off any staid images which bigger Volkswagens in this sector may have conjured up in the past. With a deep full-width grille, sleek profile and smart trim details it is far more distinctive. And you only have to get in the car to realise that on the inside the Arteon is all about refinement and quality with Nappa leather seats (£1,185) and high quality trim materials.
That’s not to mention performance. The 1.4 direct injection turbocharged 1.4 engine is surprisingly gutsy and has all the power you need while being quiet and unfussed. In my test car it was married to Volkswagen’s six speed automatic gearbox. The refined and responsive engine lacks for nothing and delivers power pleasantly.
Handling is excellent and the car feels rigid and stable even when being pushed hard around corners. Road holding is sure footed and the ride is comfortable in the extreme.
Inside, the car – with a newly-designed interior similar to the SUV Touareg – is roomy and well laid out, with extremely comfortable, easy to adjust powered seats. There has been a lot of attention to detail, with automatic tailgate opening, well positioned grab handles, a centre driver’s armrest and controls which fall easily to hand, and an automatic park brake with hill-hold. The dashboard is almost entirely digital, but the ergonomics are good and everything is where it should be. Most functions are controlled via a 10.25 inch touchscreen.
The luggage compartment is huge with good height and depth. You get 455 litres of luggage capacity which can be increased by folding the rear seats.
Standard features on the Elegance trim which I tested include a three-spoke leather-trimmed multi-function touch-sensitive steering wheel, ABS with electronic brake pressure distribution, traction control, all-round airbags along with a host of other safety features including lane assist and traffic jam assist, adaptive cruise control with speed limiter, electronic three-zone air conditioning, electrically heated and adjustable door mirrors, front and rear parking sensors with rear camera, LED self-levelling headlights and running lights, and DAB radio with Apple CarPlay, Bluetooth and audio connections. You also get pre-loaded satnav with an eight-inch touchscreen.
the VW Arteon Shooting Brake Elegance eHybrid 1.4 litre TSI comes on the road at £42,945. My test car had a few extras including a panoramic sunroof (£1,145), head-up display (£550) and rear tinted glass (£330).
This is a thoughtfully put together estate car package. It looks great and will give you comfortable and effortless business and pleasure travelling.
