2023 Volkswagen Arteon SE R-Line AWD: The Brand’s Flagship Sedan

 

Highlight:  The vehicle pumps out 300-horsepower from its 4-cylinder engine.

Test Vehicle's MSRP: $44,305

Seating Capacity: 5

Standard Safety Features: airbags; ABS; AWD; front fog light; adaptive cornering front lighting system; a radar activated cruise control system; a lane assist system; an emergency assist system; an electronic blind spot monitor; a rear camera; and heated front washer nozzles; an automatic brake hold feature; and a compact spare tire; and a tire pressure monitoring system

Standard Equipment (SE R-Line): 18-inch wheels; 7-speed automatic transmission; a start/stop engine; a manual operated tilt/telescopic steering wheel; a leather wrapped steering wheel; heated steering wheel; heated front seats; power front seats; leather like seating area; a lip spoiler; power trunk (open/close); a keyless entry system; a push button ignition system; wireless charging compatible for all devices; twin chrome exhaust pipes; LED headlights; adaptive front foglights; an illuminated light bar in the front grille

Options: none

Trims:

SEL R-Line

SEL Premium R-Line

Standard Audio On Test Vehicle: an 8-speaker audio system with and AM/FM/HD/SiriusXM radio

Bluetooth Connectivity: Standard

USB Connectivity: Standard

Apple/Android Connectivity: Standard

Bumper-to-Bumper Warranty: 4 years/50,000 miles

Powertrain Warranty: 4 years/50,000 miles

Standard Horsepower: 2.0-liter, 4-cylinder/300-horsepower

Mileage: 25-city/33-highway (front wheel drive)

Towing Capacity: 2,000 lbs

What’s New: Except for a few package tweaks, adding more standard equipment, the brand’s largest car is basically a carryover model for the 2023 model year.

Why (Test Model):

Roomy

Affordable

A heated steering wheel

A hatchback-like rear cargo area

Easy-to-use infotainment

Supportive seating

Great visibility

An adjustable front seat center armrest

300-hp spewing from a 4-cylinder engine

Stylish design

Frameless windows

Maintenance included for 2 years

And above average new-vehicle bumper to bumper warranty

A variety of driving modes

FWD or AWD depending on trim

SiriusXM is standard

A radar activated cruise control system

On higher level trims one can opt for 20-inch wheels, ventilated front seats, heated rear seats, leather seats and a sunroof

A well-thought-out layout for the instrument panel; its clean and modern

Wireless charging device

An automatic brake hold feature

Hatchback-like trunk offers more cargo space, when rear seats are folded down

But:

Only one powertrain is available

Powertrain warranty falls short of some of its competitors

No electrified model

Not a fan of the grille

Verdict: While the large car segment as consumer tastes have changed, VW continues to offer a full portfolio of vehicles. That portfolio includes offering a flagship car, the Arteon. While it doesn’t have the sexy allure once offered by the vehicle it replaced, the CC, which looked like the Mercedes-Benz CLS, it still provides a flair.

The large sedan is available in a front wheel drive or an all-wheel drive configuration, depending on the trim.  And for the 2023 model year, VW enhanced the standard features in the base SE R Line, including such features as an adaptive front lighting system, an illuminated bar in the front grille and a heated steering wheel.

At a starting price just shy of $45,000, the base model Arteon is priced higher than all of the vehicles in its competitive set. To compensate for this, the German sedan offers a few standard features that aren’t available on many of its competitors. We noted a few earlier.

Moreover, the five-sedan sedan is powered by one powertrain, a 2.0-liter turbocharged engine. It doesn’t disappoint either. In fact, the Arteon can spew out a whopping 300-horsepower from underneath the hood. And once behind the wheel, drivers can alter between a variety of modes too, while cruising behind the wheel.

Overall this VW offers a lot of bang for the buck.  It straddles the line between being a mainstream and a premium car.  Sadly, we hear VW plans on squeezing out one more year out of their flagship car, before heading to car heaven. So, if you're in the market for a new non electrified VW sedan, its time to make a move, before it disappears from the line up. 

Competition: Acura TLX; Infiniti Q50; Kia Stinger; and Nissan Maxima (According to the folks at VW)

Additional Competitors: Toyota Crown