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.
Since this is not an Arteon R, is it very interesting? It seems about as remarkable as a Corsa 1.2 LE vs a basic spec 1.2
It was a good enough looking car for my wife to notice it and she has no interest in cars - we did own a passat for about 6 months which she loved and as a result she has a soft spot for them.
It's the sort of car that would keep my better half happy, personally I'd like one too, but not at that price
I can't for the life of me think who will run to €55K for a four cylinder VW saloon - albeit a good looking one - as there are so many alternative ways to spend less, to get more, out there.
Here’s a 2.0TDi Arteon in Germany for €73,000...
https://www.autoscout24.com/offers/volkswagen-arte...
As a motorway hack, it was brilliant. Lovely ride, even on the 19s, massive boot, loads of space in the back (it's on the Superb wheelbase rather than the Passat wheelbase), loads of kit (including some rather clever matrix LED headlamps), and some unusually comfortable seats for a VW group car.
The only real downsides were that it had a slightly irritating mild throttle lag from a standstill, and while it was sure footed being thrown down a back road, it wasn't what I'd call fun. It seemed at its most natural being driven in a relaxed way on trunk roads and motorways.
I'd happily choose one over loads of other 'better' stuff as a motorway hack - in my opinion it's a better commuter car than a A4/3-series/C-class. If you're after any kind of excitement though, it's not the car you're looking for.
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