Volkswagen is finally bringing us a replacement for the CC four-door coupe, and if you're a fan of VW's new grilles, then you'll love the new Arteon Gran Turismo. Previewed by 2015's Sport Coupe Concept GTE, the new car might even look more aggressive and show-car like than the real show car concept.
Tobias Sühlmann, the VW designer responsible for the shape says that "the athletic lines of the Arteon embody a highly functional overall concept. Form and function find common ground here in a progressive way." He says that the long wheelbase and short overhangs mean that despite the coupe roofline that the Arteon still "provides more space and flexibility than conventional sedans." It has a wheelbase just over 25mm longer than the Passat sedan, but the body is slightly shorter. The Arteon is also 50mm wider than the 2017 Volkswagen Passat. It makes for slightly more coupe-like proportions. It is a hatchback, though, providing a generous 1,557L of cargo space with the seats folded.
The grille closely resembles the new Atlas SUV, but smaller to suit the smaller car. The top of the lights is the cutline for the hood as well, and that line is extended all the way down the side of the car to the taillights. At the back, that line frames the wide shoulders above the rear wheel arches.
Inside, the Arteon should look familiar to VW fans. The design takes cues from the 2017 VW Golf and strongly resembles the current European Passat. Straightforward, simple, functional. It doesn't steal from Audi's dramatic new dash designs, but what it does steal is Audi's Virtual Cockpit display, called the Volkswagen Digital Cockpit here. It will also have a new Discover Pro infotainment system available with a 9.2-inch screen.
Volkswagen has really upped their game with the new version of their Emergency Assist system. If the car thinks that you've become incapacitated by illness, it will not just slow the car down, but will actually steer you into the right-hand lane before stopping, as long as it isn't blocked by traffic on that side. This time, sick drivers won't have to rely on the attention and quick reaction of Tesla drivers to help them.
In Europe, three gas and three diesel engines are available, but odds are that we'll just get the top two gas options. Those are both Volkswagen's familiar 2.0 TSI turbo-four, with the lower powered version making 188 hp and the top engine putting out 276 hp. They both will come with a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic and the higher engine will have 4motion all-wheel drive.
The Arteon Gran Turismo goes on sale in Germany this spring. Canadian availability hasn't been announced, but will likely be later this year.
