Arteon R-Line Edition confirmed for UK
370 of 1,000-car production run coming to Treasure Island, priced from £37,000
In one of the least surprising bits of news you'll read in this not Geneva show week, the Arteon R-Line announced towards the end of 2019 has been confirmed for sale in the UK. Just like the Passat R-Line of not so long ago.
The spec is as previewed last year: the choice of two petrol or two diesel engines, from 190hp to 272hp, standard Dynamic Chassis Control, 20-inch wheels, Area View, Side Assist Plus and Discover Nav Pro. All of them are Moonstone Grey.
Prices start at £36,850 for the 190hp petrol, rising to £39,540 for the 190hp diesel, then £41,070 for that diesel with 4Motion, £42,120 for the 272hp petrol car (with standard 4Motion) and £43,360 for the 240hp, twin-turbo diesel, also with standard all-wheel drive. VW says that the extra equipment would cost £4,755 on top of an Arteon R-Line, but carries a premium of only £845.
The 370 cars coming to the UK are on sale now, with deliveries commencing very soon. Your cul-de-sac will have never seen anything so suave.
It's pretty obvious, just seven days in, that this decade is going to be about electrification and SUVs. At least for the car world, that is. Regulation will encourage the former; demand means more of the latter. So the Volkswagen Arteon R Line Edition, resplendent as it is in Moonstone Grey, is something a little out of the ordinary. Because it's just a car.
Alright, so it's hardly the most radical thing VW has ever done, stuffing the flagship saloon full of kit and adding some styling flourishes. But when you can't move for jacked up superminis and enormous luxury SUVs, the R Line Edition is a pleasant reminder of what can be achieved with, y'know, one of those four-door saloon things.
Reflecting its niche status in the real world, Volkswagen has limited the new model to just 250 examples in Europe. All will be grey, with a black roof and 20-inch wheels, a spec that's bespoke to the new trim level. Not a wild spec by any means, but it certainly doesn't detract from the Arteon's good looks.
Furthermore, the R Line Edition, which VW says, "focuses even more on the dynamics and travel qualities of the Gran Turismo", gets Nappa leather, the Discover Pro infotainment and Digital Cockpit as standard. As for the dynamic side of things, VW has tweaked the ESC system for this special edition and, like the full R-badged flagships, allows it to be disabled completely.
While it's offered with a pair of diesels and a 190hp petrol, the Arteon of most interest will surely be the 272hp TSI 4Motion, a powertrain and spec sampled in the Passat equivalent a little while back. Both that version and the more powerful (240hp) diesel will be fitted with standard DCC adaptive dampers, which will be optional on the other two.
In Germany, the Arteon R Line Edition is available to order now from VW dealers at a price of €55,970. Given the Passat made it to the UK, it would be a surprise if the Arteon didn't follow suit, given its apparent similarities. Though nothing is confirmed yet, it might be worth pestering your dealer now - there won't be many, that's for sure.
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