As the Phaeton has not shone very brightly, the CC (formerly Passat CC) has been a top-of-the-range VW in recent years. Her replacement, who finally adopted a less ambiguous name, grew and adopted a differentiating style. On the one hand to emancipate itself once and for all from the Passat, and on the other hand to definitively take its place at the top of the European Volkswagen range, while waiting for a hypothetical Phaeton 2 (Remember that in China there is a 5.05m Phideon).
Change is now about
The drawing of the Arteon is not a surprise. In fact, it is almost a copy and paste of the Sport Coupe GTE Concept presented two years ago at the 2015 Geneva Motor Show, with a two or three shades difference. The dashboard has come to its senses.
But this is a good surprise. First, by the presence of this long 5-door sedan. Then by the notable evolution of the style, especially on the front panel. We have seen this imposing and wide grille on many Volkswagen concept cars. It was timidly adopted by the last Passat, Touran and Tiguan. But this is the first time she has appeared, as a series, in such an extroverted way. The upper slats of the grille blend into the tiny headlights to give the Arteon a truly original look. And as we know, the adjective "original" is not often used at Volkswagen. Another notable detail is the front hood, which extends copiously over the fenders.
It is funny to note that the 5-door configuration has been chosen. Once outdated and utilitarian, this solution has finally become synonymous with sportiness in recent years, driven by the Audi A5 Sportback, Audi A7 or 4 Series Gran Coupé. The scalable MQB platform was once again used.