June 5, 2017
FAMILY SPORTS CAR —
… the new Volkswagen Arteon
by Jim Corbran
VW’s latest offering in the family car range continues the German manufacturer’s knack for choosing offbeat vehicle names. Who here remembers asking how to pronounce Tiguan, Touareg, and Eos? Or better yet, who knows what they mean?
At least the meaning of the Beetle’s name was obvious to anyone who’d been halfway paying attention to the automotive scene since the 1950s or so. And the Jetta, Golf, CC, and Passat are at least easy to pronounce. With the Arteon, some potential VW customers will once again find themselves pointing to one in the showroom and shyly telling the sales person, “Yes, I’d like to look at one of… erm, those.”
When I first heard the new name I assumed it was in honor of one of the designer’s favorite uncles, possibly named Art and probably from some obscure Western European principality. But VW, bless their hearts, explains it all in their Arteon press kit. Let’s have them explain it: “Start with the name — a portmanteau of “art,” and “eon” the suffix that now signifies all high-end luxury models within the Volkswagen brand worldwide.”
Raise your hand if you knew what a portmanteau was without having to look it up. My computer’s dictionary tells me it’s a word blending the sounds and combining the meanings of two other words, for example motel (motor and hotel) or brunch (breakfast and lunch). Arteon translates to art for the ages. Pretty big shoes to fill. I say. When you have to go to these lengths to figure out a product’s name, it’s a marketing failure. But that’s me.
Anyway, the Arteon…
It replaces the CC, another four-door sedan with a coupe-like design — except that VW comes right out and calls it a four-door coupe. Sorry, VW, but a coupe by definition has only two doors. Sigh. Marketing people…
That being said, the new Arteon is a very stylish automobile, which VW correctly identifies as having “…the design elements of a sports car with the elegance and space of a fastback.” It’s the CC (also a somewhat stylish car but with that certain element that’s just a bit off) taken to the next leve
The Arteon line will be comprised of a base sedan as well as Elegance (focused heavily on luxury and design) and R-Line (emphasis on sportiness) models. Six different turbocharged four-cylinder engines will be offered (at least in Europe), ranging from 148-hp to 276-hp. There will also be front-wheel-drive and VW’s 4Motion all-wheel-drive versions. According to VW’s press release, transmissions will be either a six-speed manual or a seven-speed DSG (direct-shift gearbox) dual-clutch automatic, although some media outlets are reporting that an eight-speed automatic will be offered. Hmm… who would know better?
All Arteons will have 18-inch aluminum alloy wheels, LED headlamps and taillights, electronically controlled air conditioning system, power adjustable front seats, driver alert system, and a leather-covered multi-functional steering wheel.
The Arteon will probably be offered in North America as a 2018 model; it debuts in Europe in June, and traditionally VW begins sales here a year or so later. Prices are expected to start at around $36,000 (although nothing official has been announced yet).
For now you can read more about the Arteon at VW’s UK website: volkswagen.co.uk
The post “FAMILY SPORTS CAR —
… the new Volkswagen Arteon”
first appeared on Buffalo Cars