Review
The time has come for the Volkswagen Arteon to leave AM’s hands and find its future home with another family or company.
Hopefully, it will find one with a desire to be comforted and cossetted while frequently traversing the waistline of England; one that puts this cruiser to good use.
As you could expect, with 190PS on tap from its turbocharged petrol engine and a capability to sprint to 62mph in less than eight seconds, it was not the most frugal car to use on the daily school run or occasional trips into the city.
Occasional longer trips to interview dealers or visit family allowed this car to show what it is best at: effortlessly making the miles disappear. I rather wish I’d done more. But then, I’d also wish for more than 36mpg at current fuel prices – that fuel economy reminds me of the days of my tuned-up, supercharged Volkswagen Corrado G60.
Our Arteon’s premium styling certainly attracted a few admiring glances from other parents on the school runs though.
In an era of chunky crossover SUVs this sleek, range-topping grand tourer certainly stands out in its Kings Red metallic paintwork with chrome accents and 19-inch Montevideo Black alloys.
The £1,235 optional Harman Kardon upgraded sound system lets you be heard beautifully too, should you wish to crank up the volume.
In short, it’ll be a great used car for somebody.
Long-termer specification:
DRIVETRAIN: 2.0-LITRE TURBOCHARGED, 190PS
TRANSMISSION: 7-SP DSG AUTO S
PERFORMANCE: 0-62MPH 7.8 SECS, TOP SPEED 145MPH
ECONOMY: 38MPG
CO2 EMISSIONS: 168G/KM (WLTP)
PRICE: £38,790 (AS TESTED, WITH OPTIONS: £47,350)
An award-winning journalist and editor, with two decades of experience covering the motor retail industry, and accredited by the Institute of Leadership and Management (ILM) plus the National Council for the Training of Journalist (NCTJ)
As editor of AM since 2016, Tim is responsible for its media content, planning and production across AM's multiple channels, including the website, digital reports, webinars, social media and the editorial content of AM's events, Automotive Management Live and the AM Awards. His focus is on interviewing senior leaders of franchised dealer groups and motor manufacturer national sales companies to examine latest developments in UK motor retail.
