If you don't like new Volkswagens, 2020 will be a difficult year for you. The German company is releasing no fewer than 34 new models this year, and the latest is a "far-reaching update" to the Arteon grand tourer range, including a facelift, an R model and a hybrid for both the sedan and "shooting brake" wagon.
The visual update is fairly subtle, with probably the most notable new feature being an LED driving light strip running horizontally across the front of the car, giving it a wider, slightly sportier look. The interior gets a bigger update, with a newly designed cockpit area, a nice wide touchscreen, an optional 700-watt Harman/Kardon stereo and touch sliders on the dash and wheel replacing some mechanical knobs and dials. You can also option it up with a 30-color LED ambient lighting system if that's your bag.
An optional Travel Assist package gives you adaptive cruise control that can operate from a full stop right up to 210 km/h (130 mph), so it can handle anything from a congested crawl (remember those?) to the German autobahns. The system reads and reacts to "speed limit signs, towns, bends, roundabouts and junctions," making life even easier, and it's also got lane keeping assist, auto emergency braking and pedestrian monitoring.
According to Top Gear, engine options include four cylinder petrol motors in 1.5 and 2-liter variants, as well as a 2-liter diesel with "twin-dosing" systems to remove some 80 percent of NOx emissions. Then there's the eHybrid plug-in powertrain, a 1.4-liter petrol engine paired with an electric motor and 13 kilowatt hours of battery; enough for a handy electric-only range of 34 miles (55 km) that will likely knock off the daily commute for a lot of folk.
The Arteon will come in sporty sedan and shooting brake versions, the latter of which more or less just means a sporty wagon. It's a nice-looking wagon, though, and such things do well in Europe where not everyone wants a gigantical SUV or pickup. There will be 2- and 4-wheel drive versions of both.
And each of these will get its own even sportier R version, with a 2.0-liter turbo tuned for 316 horsepower and a seven speed dual-clutch gearbox. The R versions also get a new torque vectoring system focused on dynamic driving.
Check out VW's launch video below.
Source: Volkswagen
