Volkswagen Arteon 2018 Review - Long-term Test #1

Coming of age

We are living in a significant transitionary period for the humble sedan. Or in the case of the Volkswagen Arteon, liftback.

The memories of large home-grown sedans with enough power for the overtaking lane are beginning to fade as the one-year anniversary of the death of the Australian car industry approaches. In their place are svelte, European-produced offerings with formidable technology and safety credentials to soften the blow.

Alas, the Arteon is never going to be a soulful, enriching drive in the same way a V8-powered Commodore or Falcon was, but three months behind the wheel of our long-termer has helped uncloak its own dominatable charm.

From a distance, the Volkswagen Arteon initially smacked of a car that would belong to a sales rep who had met their monthly bonus – not a genuine executive express rival.

Upon some reflection, the truth is the Arteon can cover all spectrums. It has a quiet persuasion about it. A vehicle that revels in long distance driving, twisting roads and even daily commuting.

The Arteon’s relative anonymity in the prestige segment is also its charm. Guaranteed, it turns decidedly more heads than your neighbour’s Audi A5. That’s noteworthy, for sure.

This month, the Arteon’s open-road efficiency, thoughtful creature comforts and supportive seats really made their mark as we ran the microscope over its infotainment and safety offering.

Travel. Lots of travel.

It has been a busy month. Plenty of runs up to Sydney airport to fly around and cover new car releases. Aston Martin DB11 Volante, Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk, Volvo V60, Ford Mustang; sounds glamourous but the reality has been far from it for our long-term Arteon.

Think long nights in cold, dreary car parks, often a week at a time without so much of a prod of its brushed metal starter button.

On each return, the Arteon has ushered your correspondent in like a daggy airport welcoming party with flowers and balloons. I have barely exited the airport car park before its three stage seat warmers are running at full tilt, a podcast is streaming through Apple CarPlay and the burble from its dual exhaust outlets has settled into a more rhythmic tone as the car creeps up to running temperature.

The digital displays are of particular note, the combination of its 9.2-inch centre display screen, head-up display and digital instrument cluster endowing the Arteon with a clear, concise and easy-to-navigate arsenal. Ditto the 10-speaker Dynaudio stereo (part of an optional $2500 Sound and Style package), which is hardly the best on offer in a luxury car, but brings a clear, loud, if bass-heavy beat nonetheless.

Fuel use has likewise been stellar, the Arteon averaging 6.5L/100km combined on most highway trips. Including some around town mileage, that figure has crept closer to 8.5L/100km, still respectable given we’re talking about a 1658kg ‘sedan’.

The Arteon’s Teutonic interior is a result of clever foresight, no doubt; the way its low-slung seats cocoon occupants, or how the 14-way power-adjustable driver’s seat slides back when you get in and out, improving ingress and egress. Similarly, the availability of key personalisation – allowing the mirrors, seat and driver assistance settings can be mapped to different – is an everyday masterstroke.

Everything works well and there have been no major issues during our three-month stint, save for a minor rattle in the dashboard that tends to come and go.

Elsewhere, the ambient lighting suite imbues the Arteon with a true sense of occasion, and the ability to switch between white, blue and yellow hues is neat, too.

None of these factors tend to get in the way of the Arteon’s practicality either. Space across the rear three pews, each with ISOFIX child anchor points, is ample ordinarily – but proportions are truly excellent with the seat backs folded flat. On a recent weekend away, it swallowed two surfboards, a golf bag, suitcases and a case of beer. And that’s with room to spare and a full-size alloy and Pirelli P-Zero under the boot floor.

In terms of other everyday observations, the Arteon’s exterior lighting package is first-rate, offering a clear blanket of light on dark roads and a cornering function that illuminates where the vehicle is headed. With high beam engaged, there’s several hundred metres’ worth of vision.

Not everyone will love the soft-glow interior lighting that emanates from the roofline, behind the windscreen, but it tends to fade into the background after some extended night driving.

While it is devoid of a rear windscreen wiper, early morning dew (and the occasional frost) can still be cleared via the car’s rear demister function, ensuring adequate visibility.

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Safety, check

The beauty in the Arteon’s five-star ANCAP safety suite is that you don’t really notice it’s there after a while, the functions are so intuitive.

For a start, it boasts one of the best autonomous emergency braking (AEB) systems around, automatically braking at speeds between 5-250km/h. Possible collisions below 5km/h are purportedly averted, too, by a slow speed manoeuvre braking system.

We haven’t required AEB, thankfully, but Volkswagen’s Traffic Jam Assist has come in handy on several occasions. In snarling Sydney traffic, the system can be set at speeds of up to 60km/h to tail the car in front and maintain lane position. It makes use of the Arteon’s adaptive cruise control and lane assist functions, and works quite seamlessly.

The same hardware can assist with highway driving, too. Activate the lane assist and lane guidance feature, and the Arteon will maintain lane positioning and even navigate around mild corners (always with driver back-up). The system is genuinely impressive, and works well – especially given the price point.

The Arteon is offered with a self-parking feature, but much like its gesture control features inside, the technology isn’t something you immediately think to use in day-to-day life. If at all.

A bigger assistance is the Arteon’s ‘area view’ camera system, which employs four cameras to aid with vision during parking manoeuvres.

Crucially, the 360-degree vista has helped ensure the Arteon’s bristling 20-inch wheels remain unmarked. Even the thought of damaging one really grates me. I guess that means the Arteon is leaving a positive impression.

How much does a 2018 Volkswagen Arteon cost?
Price: $65,490 (as tested, plus ORCs)
Engine: 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol
Output: 206kW/350Nm
Transmission: Seven-speed dual-clutch
Fuel: 7.5L/100km (ADR Combined); 8.5L/100km (as tested)
CO2: 170g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety Rating: Five-star ANCAP (2017)