2018 VW Arteon replaces Passat CC four-door coupe-sedan

The stylish Volkswagen Passat CC ended production a while ago. But now, the VW stand at the 2017 Geneva Motor Show features a worthy replacement, the all-new 2018 Volkswagen Arteon.

The crisp design of the Arteon is based on the Sport Coupe Concept GTE that Volkswagen showcased in the 2015 edition of the same motor show. The sporty design hasn’t been diluted much in its journey from a concept to a production model. The slats of the front grill seem to extend into the headlamps due to the peculiar design of the LED daytime running lamps. The swoopy four-door “coupe” body style has given way to a fastback shape which will add more practicality. Thanks to the new rear design, the trunk is now huge. It offers 563 litres of luggage space which can be hiked to 1557 litres if the rear seats are folded down.

The interior of the Arteon is similar to that of the Passat. The base model is loaded with goodies like cruise control, six-way power adjustable front seats, leather steering wheel, stainless steel door kick plates and the Composition Media infotainment system with eight speakers. As you move up the variant list, more optional gizmos can be added which include an all-digital instrument cluster, a heads-up display and the 9.2-inch infotainment system. The safety systems on offer include adaptive cruise control, cornering lights and VW’s Emergency Assist feature which will steer the car into a safer lane if it finds the driver inattentive or passed out.

The power for the Arteon comes from three petrol and two diesel engines. The base model will feature a 148 hp 1.5-litre TSI Evo engine which will be hooked up to a 6-speed manual or a 7-speed DSG auto gearbox in the FWD base model. The bigger petrol engine is the 2.0-litre TSI unit which comes in two flavuors, 188 hp and 276 hp. Both these engines will be linked to the automatic gearbox. The 276 hp avatar will be available with the 4Motion AWD setup. The 2.0-litre diesel engine is available with outputs ranging from 148 hp to 236 hp.

The 2018 Volkswagen Arteon is now being showcased at the 2017 Geneva Motor Show. It will be slotted above the Passat in VW’s portfolio when it hits markets. Expect a UAE, KSA and GCC launch sometime in the second half of 2018.