2023 Volkswagen Arteon Review

LIKES

Pretty shape
User-friendly tech
Great warranty
Solid ride/handling balance

DISLIKES

$50,000 for a VW?
Yawn interior
Annoying touch controls inside
Limited second-row head room

BUYING TIP

The Arteon works well enough in base form, but the SEL trim’s all-wheel drive, adaptive cruise control, and leather upholstery suit its quasi-luxury mission better.

Slightly undercutting luxury brand rivals, the 2023 VW Arteon offers up arresting style and good performance for the money.

What kind of vehicle is the 2023 Volkswagen Arteon? What does it compare to?

The 2023 VW Arteon is a sleek, well-equipped hatchback that offers a hint of utility at a lower price point than the Acura TLX and BMW 3-Series.

Is the 2023 Volkswagen Arteon a good car?

The 2023 VW Arteon wears sleek styling outside, paired with a somewhat underwhelming cabin. It’s pleasant to drive, with good power and widespread availability of all-wheel drive. Fuel economy isn’t too bad, either. Overall, we rate the Arteon at 6.5 out of 10.

What's new for the 2023 Volkswagen Arteon?

The base Arteon SE R-Line adds 20-inch alloy wheels, while other versions now include ambient interior lighting and different trim.

Otherwise, the Arteon sticks around as a big hatchback with coupe-like lines that mask an enormous cargo area. Its simple, clean styling was lightly tweaked last year. Carried over are its razor-like grille, muscular lines, and distinctive taillights. Its cabin comes up shorter when it comes to evocative details, though it is spacious with great rear-seat leg room.

The 300-hp turbo-4 ships that power to the front or all four wheels via a 7-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission. Standard adaptive dampers give the Arteon a supple ride and good handling to match its impressive acceleration. The Arteon is rated as high as 28 mpg combined, though all-wheel-drive models slide to 25 mpg combined.

Inside, look for decent cabin space and nice furnishings, though nothing that will give luxury brands reason to quiver. SEL trims include soft nappa leather, which elevates the experience. Predictably, the sloping roofline results in limited rear-seat head room.

There’s an 8.0-inch touchscreen and a digital instrument cluster, though the Arteon doesn’t advance its tech game beyond its competitors.

The IIHS rates it a Top Safety Pick+. All versions have automatic emergency braking, while adaptive cruise control comes on the SEL trim. That’s the Arteon you’ll want, after all.

How much does the 2023 Volkswagen Arteon cost?

This year, the base Arteon SE R-Line runs $43,825 to start, which buys 20-inch alloy wheels, synthetic leather upholstery, heated and power-adjustable front seats, a digital instrument cluster, an 8.0-inch touchscreen with wireless smartphone capability, and front-wheel drive.

We’d consider spending up for the SEL, which for $4,500 or so adds all-wheel drive, leather seats, adaptive cruise control, and a sunroof, among a few other items.

Where is the 2023 Volkswagen Arteon made?

In Germany.

Styling

The 2023 VW Arteon is a pretty shape with some busy details.

Is the Volkswagen Arteon a good-looking car?

It has a lot of the right ingredients. We like the 2023 Arteon’s basic shape well enough to award it two points above average. It’s a little busy in its detailing and its interior comes across as too business-like for our tastes, however.

The Arteon is a hatchback, albeit more in the Audi A5 Sportback arena than, say, a Hyundai Excel. Its sleek profile is its best attribute. We’re less enamored with the busy grille up front, though the LED running lights are a nice touch.

Inside, the Arteon is loaded with features, but it’s boring. There’s too much shared here with the VW Taos and Jetta. Then again, those two models don’t offer the annoying touch-sensitive steering wheel and climate control switches frustratingly found in the Arteon.

Performance

Quick and comfortable, the 2023 VW Arteon excels as a mile-eater.

The 2023 VW Arteon accelerates quickly and boasts a comfortable, well-sorted suspension. We score it at 7 out of 10.

Is the Volkswagen Arteon 4WD?

All-wheel drive comes on SEL trims.

How fast is the Volkswagen Arteon?

The small 2.0-liter turbo-4 delivers an impressive 300 hp via a 7-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission. It’s downright quick, if not exactly ferocious in its power delivery. The turbo-4 and quick-witted dual-clutch gearbox fit the Arteon’s mission as a style-forward people hauler quite well, especially with optional all-wheel drive.

Standard adaptive dampers help take the edge off of the big 20-inch alloy wheels. More than a dozen drive mode settings for the suspension alone allow for considerable amounts of user tailoring, but even Normal mode is plenty comfy.

Light and quick steering amplifies the Arteon’s nimble feel around town. It’s far from a track-day superstar, but that’s not its mission. As an Autobahn glider, the Arteon suits its mission well.

Comfort & Quality

A big cargo area makes the 2023 VW Arteon an SUV antidote.

The Arteon is a big car, so it’s no surprise that its interior offers substantial space for adults and their gear. We rate it at 7 out of 10 thanks to comfy, power-adjustable front seats and a big cargo area accessed by an unusual tailgate.

SE versions dress the cabin in synthetic leather. Step up to SEL trims and VW swaps that upholstery for soft nappa leather, which works well here. Cooled seats come on the SEL Premium, too.

Rear-seat leg room is fine, but taller riders will find limited head room and somewhat short door openings.

The Arteon’s 27 cubic-foot cargo area doubles a typical sedan’s trunk, and it grows to 57 cubes with the rear seatbacks flopped down.

Interior trim is fine but not particularly special. You’ll get nicer materials in an Audi A5 Sportback, but you’ll also pay a lot more.

Safety

The 2023 VW Arteon has done well in crash testing.

How safe is the Volkswagen Arteon?

Data so far points to the 2023 VW Arteon doing a good job avoiding a crash and holding up well if it’s hit. We rate it at 7 out of 10.

The IIHS says it’s a Top Safety Pick+ in every configuration thanks to “Good” results in every instrumented crash test and top-rated headlights. The NHTSA has yet to test it, however.

That top rating from the IIHS adds one point to the Arteon and we assign another thanks to standard automatic emergency braking. Adaptive cruise control is included on SEL versions, too.

Features

The 2023 VW Arteon is a well-equipped sedan with a terrific warranty.

The 2023 VW Arteon starts at $43,825 for the SE R-Line. That model includes a good array of tech, including a 10.3-inch digital instrument cluster, an 8.0-inch touchscreen with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, crash-avoidance tech, 20-inch wheels, and synthetic leather upholstery.

Good standard fare and a decent infotainment system pair with a 4-year/50,000-mile warranty including 24 months or 20,000 miles of free maintenance to give the Arteon an 8 for features.

Which Volkswagen Arteon should I buy?

Step up to the SEL R-Line and you’ll get all-wheel drive, nappa leather seats, active lane control, adaptive cruise control, and a big sunroof. Sure, $48,390 is no chump change, but it takes these features to justify a $40,000-plus VW, after all.

Another $3,000 buys the SEL Premium, which adds Harman/Kardon audio, parking sensors, a surround-view camera system, cooled front seats, and heated rear seats, plus a few other niceties including the best-looking wheels in the lineup.

Fuel Economy

The 2023 VW Arteon gets good fuel economy for a 300-hp sedan.

Is the Volkswagen Arteon good on gas?

It’s not bad, though it needs premium fuel.

Front-drive versions rate 25 mpg city, 33 highway, 28 combined, according to the EPA. Stepping up to all-wheel drive slips those figures to 22/31/25 mpg.