LIKES
- Stylish shape and details
- Wireless Android Auto and Apple Car
- Play Powerful engine
- Liftgate allows for a wide cargo opening
DISLIKES
- Rear seat lacks head room
- Touch controls on the steering wheel are hard to use
- Screams for a rear-wheel-drive based platform
BUYING TIP
The 2022 VW Arteon is a good choice for those who want luxury trappings at a lower price, without compromising on cargo or passenger room.
What kind of vehicle is the 2022 Volkswagen Arteon? What does it compare to?
The 2022 Volkswagen Arteon is among the last of a dying breed of large sedans, though its liftback gives it more cargo space and utility than your regular four-door. Its coupe-like shape gives the Arteon some style and panache, as does an interior that’s a step up from what you’ll find in most Volkswagens. It competes with a strange mix of vehicles, from the Kia Stinger, to the Audi A5 Sportback and Genesis G80.
Is the 2022 Volkswagen Arteon a good car?
The stylish Arteon offers a good mix of comfort and performance, with an interior that comes close to luxury territory. For those looking for good cargo and passenger room without going into an SUV, the Arteon provides a happy medium and earns a TCC Rating of 7.0 out of 10.
What’s new for the 2022 Volkswagen Arteon?
The Arteon got a refresh just last year, but it sees more changes for 2022 with a big upgrade coming under the hood. It adopts the 2.0-liter turbo-4 out of the Golf R and lifts its 7-speed dual-clutch gearbox as well to give the Arteon even more performance. There are also some slight styling tweaks and a new flat gray paint option called Moonstone gray.
The new engine makes 300 hp and 295 lb-ft of torque, an improvement of 32 hp and 37 lb-ft over the last engine. The transmission has also been swapped out and the 8-speed has been ditched in favor of the 7-speed dual-clutch unit that the Golf R already enjoys. Adaptive dampers and front-wheel drive come standard, though most Arteons will have an all-wheel-drive system equipped.
As its lanky frame would suggest, the Arteon has a roomy interior with plenty of rear leg room and cargo space. Up front, the seats come with standard heating and 12-way power adjustments to find a comfortable orientation.
An 8.0-inch touchscreen is the infotainment option, with a larger 10.3-inch digital instrument cluster standard as well. Wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay come along for the ride, though a wireless charging pad is optional. The Arteon features the same touch-capacitive controls on the steering wheel and for climate control that are proliferating across the Volkswagen lineup, and even after multiple uses we’re skeptical on their utility versus a traditional button.
Automatic emergency braking and blind-spot monitors come standard, with adaptive cruise control, active lane control, and a surround-view camera system found on higher trim levels.
How much does the 2022 Volkswagen Arteon cost?
Prices increase across the board for the Arteon and the base SE R-Line sees the largest jump, starting at $41,945 (including a $1,195 destination charge) as it adds the new powertrain and the R-Line styling details, jumping up $3,755 compared to last year’s base car. The SEL R-Line comes next at $46,745 and it adds standard AWD, a panoramic sunroof, and 19-inch wheels. The SEL Premium R-Line tops off the lineup at $50,745, adding cooled front seats, power liftgate, a driver’s seat massage function, and 20-inch wheels.
Where is the 2022 Volkswagen Arteon made?
In Germany.
Styling
The Arteon’s flowing shape gives it a unique and attractive silhouette.
Is the Volkswagen Arteon a good-looking car?
Unless you have a prejudice against hatchbacks, undoubtedly so. The Arteon has a sleek styling all of its own with its low roof and gently sloping rear glass that falls gradually to a minuscule decklid. It remains understated in that appealing Volkswagen sort of way, with only its lights providing visual pop. The cabin carries itself with a similar amount of restraint, but is no less attractive. It earns a point for both to get a 7 in this category.
The R-Line design package with its blacked out elements has been added to all of the Arteon’s trim levels this year and that was the right decision; it makes the whole car feel more cohesive, especially when it wears brighter paint colors. The new 20-inch black wheels available only on the SEL trim are especially good looking.
Performance
The Arteon’s new engine makes it feel lighter on its feet.
Under the hood, the Arteon gets a big upgrade in 2022 by cribbing the engine out of the high-performance Golf R and the resulting increase in power makes the big sedan feel much more nimble. It gets a point for its powertrain and a well sorted suspension that toes the line between comfort and sport wonderfully, to make it a 7 in this category.
Is the Volkswagen Arteon 4WD?
Most are. The base SE R-Line is front-wheel drive only, but the other two models have standard AWD.
Faster now, thanks to that new engine. Though it’s only 2.0 liters, the turbo-4 still pumps out an impressive 300 hp and 295 lb-ft of torque, gains of 32 hp and 37 lb-ft. The power increase doesn’t fundamentally change how the Arteon drives, but it improves acceleration noticeably at lower speeds and for passing maneuvers. It makes the Arteon feel smaller than it actually is with its easy power delivery and the engine never feels peaky or uneven in its output.
Power flows through a 7-speed dual-clutch automatic to the front wheels on the SE and all four wheels on the SEL and SEL Premium. In the SE, the engine easily overwhelms the front wheels and with the traction control on it cuts power very early. With it off, the Arteon will light up the front tires well into second gear. The AWD system makes launches much more smooth, the Arteon positively leaps off the line and with the transmission in sport mode will hold gears to near redline if you stay on the throttle.
The standard adaptive suspension has 15 different firmness settings for the individual drive mode, which may be overkill but in a fun way. If you leave it in its normal setting, it’s perfect for day-to-day driving. Road imperfections are largely ignored and the Arteon doesn’t get sloppy while cornering. The steering feels a touch light most of the time, but it’s still easy to track the car straight and the boosted feeling is helpful at low speeds.
Comfort & Quality
The Arteon’s large cargo area gives it near crossover levels of utility.
The Arteon’s length gives it good leg room all-around and a large cargo area. It earns a point each for its good front seats and cargo proficiency, narrowly missing out on a point for rear seat comfort thanks to an intrusive roof. It’s a 7 here.
Every Arteon offers good comfort features with synthetic leather upholstery and heated front seats standard. Both the SEL and SEL Premium come with nappa leather and the Premium adds on seat cooling as well. The front seats are well bolstered and the bottom of the seat extends forward nicely to provide ample thigh support.
While there are acres of legroom in the front and back seats, head room will be an issue for back-seat passengers. There are small cutouts in the roof to try to alleviate this issue, but they aren’t wide enough and it feels like the headliner and the headrests are tightly squeezed together.
Safety
A Top Safety Pick and a solid list of safety features are highlights for the Arteon.
How safe is the Volkswagen Arteon?
The Arteon earned a Top Safety Pick award from the IIHS for its crash testing performance, though it has yet to be tested by the NHTSA. The award and a good list of both standard safety features and options each earn the Arteon a point to make it an 8 for safety, and a five-star NHTSA rating would give it one more.
Automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection and blind-spot monitors are standard. If a collision with a pedestrian is imminent, the clamshell hood will raise up to reduce the risk of head trauma. Adaptive cruise control, active lane control, automatic high beams, and a surround-view camera are all available as well.
Features
The Arteon’s standard equipment list is formidable, giving even the base model excellent value.
Volkswagen’s more affordable cars have suffered lately from a reduced feature set, but that’s not true in the Arteon. The SE comes with a standard 10.3-inch digital instrument cluster feels lifted straight from an Audi, with several customizable views and the ability to display the map in a large format. An 8.0-inch touchscreen comes standard and that feels a touch small these days, but it compensates with standard wireless Android Auto/Apple CarPlay. The front seats come with standard heating and 12-way power adjustments, along with synthetic leather upholstery.
The Arteon’s standard features and robust technology earn it a point, as does its 4-year/50,000-mile warranty with 2 years/20,000 miles of scheduled maintenance, to give it an 8 on features.
Which Volkswagen Arteon should I buy?
How much is a fully loaded 2022 Volkswagen Arteon?
Topping the lineup is the SEL Premium R with a price-tag of $50,745 and this is the closest the Arteon comes to luxury territory. It adds on cooled front seats, heated rear outboard seats, a Harman Kardon sound system, power liftgate, and a massaging driver’s seat. This is also the only way to get front and rear parking sensors and a surround-view camera system, both of which make maneuvering this large car much easier.
Fuel Economy
Despite the gain in power, the Arteon is more efficient for 2022.
Is the 2022 Volkswagen Arteon good on gas?
It’s not great, but better than it was last year—surprising given its additional power. The Arteon gets an EPA estimated 24 mpg city, 34 mpg highway, 28 mpg combined with FWD, while the AWD models are rated at 22/30/25 mpg. That eclipses last year’s model by 3 combined mpg for the FWD versions and 1 combined mpg for the AWD.
0 comments:
Post a Comment