What It Is: A stylish four-door hatchback replacement for the aged Volkswagen CC. If its name is a portmanteau, we take it to mean art for the ages.
Why It Matters: The Arteon is to the car side of VW’s showrooms what the Atlas is to the truck side: a new flagship responsible for accelerating the brand’s return to relevance.
Platform: VW’s ubiquitous MQB transverse-powertrain components, set up for sedan use.
Powertrain: A turbocharged and intercooled 2.0-liter inline-four packing 270 horsepower and 280 pound-feet of torque (substantial increases over the outgoing CC’s turbocharged 2.0-liter) with an Aisin eight-speed automatic transaxle sending output to the front wheels. VW’s 4MOTION all-wheel drive will likely be optional.
Competition: Acura TLX, Audi A4, BMW 320i, Buick Regal, Cadillac ATS, Infiniti Q50, Lincoln MKZ, Volvo S60.
What Might Go Wrong: Given the importance of this model to VW’s global fortunes and how well it performed in prototype test drives, we see minimal chance of derailment.
Estimated Arrival and Price: The Arteon made its official debut in March at the Geneva auto show and will arrive in the U.S. this summer with an estimated $37,000 base price.
