Volkswagen Arteon review - Interior, design and technology
Contemporary, premium design is reflected in the Arteon’s extensive package of advanced driving technologies
Some of the Volkswagen line-up looks a little homogenous from the styling perspective, but that isn’t an accusation you can throw at the Arteon. It has visual panache and dynamism to compete with the best the premium marques can throw at it.
The fun starts at the front, with a broad, deep grille that flows into the headlamps, while deep contours run up the bonnet, above powerful front wings with crisp wheelarches. The side profile is rakish, with frameless windows and the ‘uplighter’ effect of sculpted lower door panels, while the swoopy rear end has equally muscular arches and a very contemporary-looking rebate detail running the entire width of the car beneath the tail-lights.
A refresh in 2020 brought new LED headlights, a revised radiator grille with integrated daytime running lights, a reshaped front bumper, and redesigned LED rear lights. Interior changes included a new multi-function steering wheel, touch-sensitive air-con controls and a new upper dashboard panel. An optional 700-watt Harman/Kardon stereo system is also available.
The interior is very stylish for a VW product. The most eye-catching styling element is the ventilation slot that runs the full width of the dash, which is shaped to mimic the Arteon’s front grille. Other interior features include VW’s 10.25-inch Digital Cockpit Pro, which replaces traditional analogue instruments. You can set the system up to show a variety of information, including the sat-nav mapping, which is otherwise displayed on the big eight-inch display screen at the top of the centre console.
While the interior look and feel is lavish but not flashy, there’s certainly an impressive amount of technology on offer. One of the highlights is a Driver Assist package that brings a ‘predictive’ function to the cruise control and driving lights – the former reduces speed for impending corners or speed limit changes, while the lights set themselves up for corners before you arrive at them.
Sat-nav, stereo and infotainment
The standard sat-nav is the Discover system, which comes with a DAB radio, Bluetooth, an SD card reader and an eight-speaker audio set-up. You can upgrade to Discover Navgation Pro at an additional cost, which brings a bigger 9.2-inch touchscreen, increased functionality including voice activation, DVD and a 64 GB hard drive.
