New 2023 Volkswagen Arteon ( Overview ). HIGHS
– Great curb appeal, generous passenger-and-cargo room, strong turbo-four.
LOWS
– Turbo engine overpowers the tires on front-drive models, most expensive in its class, poorly positioned HVAC controls.
VERDICT
– The Arteon offers classy looks, a commodious interior, and above-average performance but its top-of-the-class attributes come with a stiff asking price.
The Volkswagen Arteon boasts a sleek exterior design and a spacious and modern interior. Couple that with comfortable seats, lots of cargo capacity and refined handling and you have a compelling — though not inexpensive — choice for a midsize sedan.
– Pros
Sleek, artful design
Sporty acceleration and handling
Impressive cargo space
Extensive available technology and luxury features
– Cons
Poor outward visibility
Sometimes unresponsive touchscreen infotainment
– What’s new
Additional standard features on entry-level trim
Part of the first Arteon generation introduced for 2019
The Arteon has never caught traction in the U.S. market like Volkswagen wanted it to, but the sedan continues forward for the 2023 model year with some updates. VW added more standard equipment to the base SE R-Line trim, including adaptive LED headlights, a front grille-integrated lightbar and a power liftgate. These changes accompany those from last year’s model, which brought some powertrain upgrades.
