What_Car_UK_-_August_2020

AudiA4Avant

High-qualityinterior

andrenedengines

areoffsetbya

slightlysmallerboot

thantheArteon.

Mercedes-BenzCLA

ShootingBrake

Lesspracticalbut

offersplentyofstyle,

kitandpowerfor

yourmoney.

RIVALS

20 August 2020 whatcar.com

AMONGPEOPLE,BEAUTYis oftenequated with

success, and if the same holds true for cars, the

Volkswagen Arteon Shooting Brake should go

far. With a long, low-slung and gently curved

body accented by chrome highlights, its looks

are undeniably head-turning. Even the name

hints at its designers’ intentions, stemming from

‘artem’, the Latin word for ‘art’.

The launch of the Shooting Brake coincides

with a facelift of the Arteon four-door coupé,

which has been on sale since 2017. As well as

the new bodystyle, the update brings the latest

advanced driving assistance systems and

plug-in hybrid technology to the Arteon range.

At the front of both versions, there are new

LED daytime running lights. These underline

the headlights and extend right across the

front grille, acting like a brighter strip of chrome

and giving the car a distinctive face. At the

back, there are new LED tail-light clusters and

a small rooftop spoiler.

The curvaceous rear end of the Shooting

Brake is likely to boost the Arteon’s appeal

among buyers looking for practicality. At

565 litres when measured to the parcel shelf

with the rear seatbacks up, its boot is only

two litres bigger than the regular Arteon’s, but

its taller prole means it’s able to take bulkier

items. Signicantly more rear head room is

claimed, too, so taller passengers shouldn’t

brush their hair on the ceiling like they might

do in the regular version.

Buyers of either model can now choose a

plug-in hybrid as an alternative to petrol or

diesel power. With an ofcial electric range

of up to 34 miles, the eHybrid uses a 2.0-litre

petrol engine and an electric motor for a

combined output of 215bhp. By default,

journeys begin in electric mode, but you can

Volkswagen Arteon

Shooting Brake

New estate version of Volkswagen’s executive car introduces plug-in hybrid power,

lashings of new tech and fresh exterior styling On sale Autumn Price from £35,000 (est)

FIRST LOOK

change this to preserve the electric range for

when you head into an ultra-low emissions

zone such as central London. And when you

want punchier acceleration, GTE mode utilises

the reserves of both power sources together.

As for the rest of the engine line-up, these

are all 2.0-litre units; the diesels have outputs

of 148bhp and 197bhp, plus there are 187bhp

and 276bhp petrols.

Only the least powerful petrol engine is

offered with a six-speed manual gearbox; all

the others come with a seven-speed dual-

clutch automatic. The petrols are said to

be 10% more efcient than those previously

offered, and the diesels use two-stage catalytic

converters to cut NOx emissions by up to 80%.

At the top of the range is a hot new R variant

for those who want their Arteon to drive more

like a sports car. Its turbocharged 2.0-litre petrol

engine pumps out 316bhp, which is distributed

via four-wheel drive and a torque vectoring

system. This can split power between the front

and rear wheels and from left to right at the

back to improve traction and handling.

On the inside, there’s a customisable 10.25in

digital instrument panel in front of the driver,

and an 8.0in or 9.2in infotainment touchscreen

on the centre console. Many features can be

operated using a voice control system.

Claire Evans

[email protected]