The refreshed Volkswagen Arteon will make its official debut on 24 June, with an updated engine range and a new Shooting Brake variant.
Volkswagen has released an official teaser image for a facelifted version of the range-topping Arteon sedan, which will be joined by a shooting brake wagon later this month when the two new models are revealed.
This teaser image offers our first glimpse at the updated Arteon’s design and, by the looks of it, Volkswagen’s styling revisions for the standard car will be subtle in execution. The sedan in this sketch features an updated front bumper with new air intakes, tweaked LED headlamps and a revised radiator grille, while the shooting brake will incorporate a rakish estate rear end.
Our spy photographers recently spotted a scantily camouflaged version of the forthcoming Arteon estate undergoing winter testing – and, like those development mules, everything from the car’s B-pillar rearwards looks to be new.
Our spied test cars featured a fresh sloping roofline, a new tailgate, new quarter light windows and a pair of updated tail lights. The model in Volkswagen’s official sketch also features a different front bumper, with a unique radiator grille and redesigned air intakes.
Inside, Volkswagen says the revised Arteon will be given an all-new cabin layout, which uses the firm’s latest MIB3 infotainment system. Details are yet to be confirmed, but we expect the new interior technology will comprise a 11.7-inch digital instrument binnacle and a 9.2-inch infotainment system – as found in the recently updated Volkswagen Passat.
Volkswagen has also confirmed the Arteon will be available with a new “Travel Assist” semi- autonomous driving mode, which the company says has been designed with long-distance journeys in mind. Under the driver’s supervision, the system can assume control of the vehicle’s steering, acceleration and braking on the motorway at speeds up to 209km/h.
Back in 2017, Volkswagen executives hinted that the new Arteon wagon could usher in a larger, more powerful six-cylinder engine. However, given Volkswagen’s recent push towards eco-friendly vehicles, it now looks more likely that the company’s flagship sedan will feature the same 160kW plug-in hybrid powertrain as the new Skoda Superb iV instead.
The rest of the Arteon estate’s engine line-up will feature the same range of petrol and diesel engines as the existing sedan. The entry-level powertrain will be a 110kW 2.0-litre four-cylinder diesel, while the flagship model will sport a 200kW 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol unit mated to a seven-speed automatic gearbox and a four-wheel-drive system.
Luke Wilkinson