New Volkswagen Arteon revealed, and it's now forbidden fruit for SA

Published Jun 24, 2020

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Wolfsburg, Germany - Volkswagen has given its Arteon sedan a significant refresh for 2020, but it’s destined to be a juicy piece of forbidden fruit for South Africans, given that the pre-facelift model was recently discontinued from the local market and at present there are no plans to bring the stylish newcomer here.

Adding to the envy factor is the news that there’s now a fully-blown ‘R’ version of the Arteon (not to be confused with the current R Line model), as well as a Shooting Brake wagon variant.

The new Arteon R is powered by a 236kW, 420Nm version of VW’s 2-litre turbopetrol engine, which is paired with a 4Motion all-wheel drive system. Another bragging point is the new ‘R-Performance Torque Vectoring’ system, which distributes the torque variably, both between the axles and also between the rear wheels, depending on the driving situation. 

Volkswagen hasn’t radically altered the exterior styling of the Arteon fastback model, and with good reason because it is regarded as an extremely stylish vehicle, but there are a number of design changes, particularly upfront where we see a new continuous light strip, additional chrome bars and redesigned lower air intakes.

The Arteon also gets a fresh cockpit design, with operation made easier through a new multi-function steering wheel as well as touch sliders for the climate control system. Also new is wireless integration for the Apple CarPlay and Android Auto and an optional 700 watt high-end Harman Kardon audio system.

New driver assistance features include the Travel Assist gizmo, which allows for semi-autonomous driving capability up to 210km/h.

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