- 2022 Volkswagen Arteon 2.0 R-Line Review – Fast(back) love
- 2022 Volkswagen Arteon 2.0 R-Line – inside
- 2022 Volkswagen Arteon 2.0 R-Line – driven
- 2022 Volkswagen Arteon 2.0 TSI DSG R-Line
2022 Volkswagen Arteon 2.0 R-Line Review – Fast(back) love
Singapore – I will not deny that the Volkswagen Arteon is an oddball to the straight-laced, who believe that a sedan should stay a sedan, and a coupe should only have two doors. The same could be said about SUVs with swooping rooflines. The Volkswagen Arteon, sits between the former, being a cross of both a Coupe and a Sedan.
The German fastback now has a new face, and even includes a GTI-like fancy LED strip which connects its headlamps. Visually, the Arteon has a similar silhouette to the Peugeot 508 fastback, and a class up (and about the same size), the Audi A5 Sportback, and BMW 4 Series Gran Coupe.
Perhaps i should stir things a little here. The two-litre KIA Stinger, is as Korean for grand tourer as you can get; is within the same price bracket, and comes from a different (RWD) school of thought.
Four-door coupes are really a thing, and we have come to appreciate them.
2022 Volkswagen Arteon 2.0 R-Line – inside
2022 Volkswagen Arteon 2.0 R-Line Singapore – Dashboard
Major improvements to the Arteon’s interior, include the cleaning up of the air-conditioning vents, and a re-design its controls. The analogue clock, which felt out of place in early versions of the car, has also been removed.
For the driver, the Digital Cockpit Pro instrument cluster, has grown in size, from 9.2-inches to 10.25-inches, while its animation graphics have been tidied up. If you find the steering wheel familiar, it is the same one found in the Golf R-line and GTI hatchbacks.
And then, there are the electric dual-memory sports seats up-front, with adjustable thigh cushions and driver’s side massage. The relaxed seating position, is clear that like the previous Passat CC, the Arteon is intended as a grand tourer.
2022 Volkswagen Arteon 2.0 R-Line Singapore – ergoComfort seats
2022 Volkswagen Arteon 2.0 R-Line Singapore – Rear seats
Overall, there is a premium feel to the interior, though there are some bits and bobs which remind you, that the Arteon first broke cover in a time the Mk7 Golf was still around. That said, the infotainment operating system feels current, and has wireless support for both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Wireless smartphone charging is also standard equipment on the R-line car.
One of the things I wish that Volkswagen had addressed, is the not-so-useful head-up display screen, which I feel is too in your face; they should have gone with a neater windscreen-projected unit, or done away with it altogether.
But I have to say that the Arteon has got enough equipment and creature spoils to punch above its weight, and to give cars like the A5 Sportback a run for their money.
2022 Volkswagen Arteon 2.0 R-Line Singapore – Boot
The German fastback also has a practical side to it, boasting a 563 litre boot, which can be expanded to 1557 litres, with the rear seats folded.
2022 Volkswagen Arteon 2.0 R-Line – driven
2022 Volkswagen Arteon 2.0 R-Line Singapore – Engine cover
The 2.0 Golf R engine has been dropped, in favour for improved efficiency, and I dare say cost management for the present Singapore market. The current 2.0 puts out 190hp, which is half the power of the pre-facelift R-Line car. Torque is also down from 350Nm to 320Nm. And while you still get that incredibly quick 7-speed dual-clutch transmission, the grand tourer loses its 4Motion all-wheel drive system. But advantage you get, is that fuel efficiency is now 5.9L/100km, as opposed to what would have been 7.3L/100km previously.
2022 Volkswagen Arteon 2.0 R-Line Singapore – Driven
I have to say that VW engineers have done an incredible job in the handling department. Sure, there is that expected slight bit of understeer, typical of a front-driven car around quick corners, but what gets me, is that the Arteon’s suspension feels just so well-sorted. The big part of this, is because the fastback now has the 15-stage adjustable Dynamic Chassis Control (DCC) which you can find the Golf GTI (and is also found in both the Skoda Octavia RS and Combi RS cars). This is where you can dial in just the right amount of suspension stiffness you desire. There is no escaping the fact that the Arteon drives very much like the Passat. After-all, both cars are heavily related.
2022 Volkswagen Arteon 2.0 R-Line Singapore – Driven
Bring the Arteon onto the highway, with the suspension set to ‘Comfort’, and you would be largely rewarded with ride quality you would come to expect to find in a larger vehicle. That is until you cross over heavily patched strips of tarmac. Those 20-inch rims, with thin rubber are also not the best shoes these moments.
While it is mostly good in the way the Arteon drives, I feel that more could have been factored in, when it came to noise management. When the DCC is set to ‘Sport’, I notice that the interior significantly picks up on what the suspension transmits form the road. But for most, this might not be a deal-breaker.
2022 Volkswagen Arteon 2.0 R-Line Singapore – Driven
The Arteon might be in the middle of its life, but with small tweaks to its exterior design, it looks as fresh as it was, the day it was launched. It may not attract the attention of the buying masses, but that is a thing with many four-door coupes. But in this day and age, the Arteon is a stunning alternative, if you are not keen to go down that SUV slippery slope.
PHOTOS Clifford Chow
2022 Volkswagen Arteon 2.0 TSI DSG R-Line
Engine 1984cc, inline4 Power/rpm 190hp/4200-6000rpm Torque/rpm 320Nm/1500-4100rpm Transmission 7spd DSG dual-clutch 0-100km/h 7.9secs Top Speed 237km/h Fuel Consumption 6.5l/100km
CO2 135g/km
Keyword: 2022 Volkswagen Arteon 2.0 R-Line Review - Fast(back) love