Believe it or not, the Arteon is a vitally important car for the Volkswagen group because it shows a direction in design that both works for the current models like the Passat and the future models like T-Roc.
The Arteon is paving the way for new connectivity within the Volkswagen range and this time it’s going to have an effect on every future Volkswagen buyer, even here in Laois.
The Arteon is the best looking car that Volkswagen currently make unless you spec a Tiguan just perfectly and then it’s the second best. Looks aside there’s some software Volkswagen are putting into the car called “Carnet” and this is designed to keep an eye on both the car and you.
In the event of a collision, the system will work out how many people were in the car and how big the crash was. All that data is sent to a specialist team in Germany who will instantly try to call the registered owner of the car, they will also get the emergency services dispatched to the scene.
If you have questions or need support with your new Arteon you just press a button on the ceiling of the car and you’ll be put through to Liffey Valley HQ where a customer service agent will talk you through anything you might need.
There’s also the weather and local news feed that can be read out by the car, it will also book you in for a service when it detects its time or there’s a fault. There’s currently no charge for the first three years, Volkswagen was a bit sketchy about what happens after that but I’m assuming there’ll be a yearly charge for some parts of the service.
Forgetting the tech for a moment, the Arteon is a very pleasant place to be. The dash looks a lot like the Passat with some extra touches of luxury which carries throughout the car. The exterior design is a thing of beauty, there are lots of angles and cuts with sharp edges giving all the drop shadows one would ever need.
The Arteon comes to Ireland with a choice of three power outputs of the 2.0-litre TDI engine. The 2.0-litre TDI comes with either 150 hp, 190 hp or at the top of the range, 240 hp. The latter comes with a 4MOTION all-wheel drive as standard. The 2.0-litre TDI 150 hp version is available with a choice of 6-speed manual or 7-speed DSG, while the 190 hp and 240 hp versions are only available with the 7-speed DSG.
Pricing for the new model starts at €43,295 for the Arteon 2.0-litre 150 hp with a six-speed manual transmission and there is a €2,200 price walk to the DSG version. The 2.0-litre 150 hp Elegance model with a manual transmission starts at €45,995.
The 2.0-litre 190hp Elegance model comes with the 7-speed DSG transmission only and costs €50,195. Of course, the one you want, and you should have, is the Elegance model as that 7-speed DSG is butter smooth and won’t break the bank on fuel because that 7th gear means it cruises quite nicely at high speed.
The Arteon is in Michael Moore Garryhinch right now and there are some great introductory offers on the car, it’s really worth a look if you are in the 172 market for something a bit special.
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