2022 VW Arteon Review: For those who've outgrown their GTI
It gets the Golf R's 300-hp powertrain for '22 https://youtu.be/DfcYB4x2dyo
The 2022 VW Arteon attempts to be the answer for those who have outgrown their GTI or Golf R. That might seem ironic given that the GTI has long been described as the only car you need. It’s fun, well-made, well-equipped, reasonably efficient and practical. Ditto the Golf R, which adds even more fun and all-weather assurance thanks to its all-wheel-drive system. The trouble is, practicality tends to be redefined once you need to put a kid in the back seat and the mountains of stuff they require in the trunk. A GTI could get the job done, but it wouldn’t be easy. Enter the Arteon.
For 2022, it now has the same new engine as the new Golf R, a 2.0-liter turbocharged inline-four that produces 300 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque. It offers the previous Golf R’s Haldex all-wheel-drive system, but comes standard with front-wheel drive. That’s a massive amount of thrust to channel through the front wheels only, but it manages to quell torque steer remarkably well … just like the GTI, actually. And indeed, the Arteon absolutely feels like it sprouted from the same branch of the family tree as the GTI and Golf R. That hasn’t always been the case with the Arteon, but this latest iteration absolutely does ¬– even if this larger, heavier car on an older variation of VW’s MQB platform unsurprisingly can’t match the verve of its smaller, newer siblings. It’s a fun car to drive, and its massive back seat and Audi Sportback-style trunk grant it that extra practicality that those who’ve outgrown their GTI or Golf R are looking for. It’s definitely a more engaging alternative than a Taos or Tiguan.
Unfortunately, the Arteon starts to make less sense once you look outside the Volkswagen family. Its starting price is north of $40,000 with a loaded SEL Premium R-Line that crosses $50,000. That might be reasonable given the Golf R’s price tag, but you’re in luxury sedan territory there, with a list of alternatives that would make this paragraph laughably long. True, the Arteon is now more powerful than most of those at this price range (usually considerably so), but the fact remains that a Volkswagen sedan will never be considered a luxury sedan. Even if some might consider it the only car they’d need.
What's new for 2022?
As described above, the Arteon gets the new Golf R’s EA888 evo4 engine and DSG transmission for 2022. The base SE also gains the R-Line’s sportier looks. This is on top of a substantial overhaul last year that brought chassis improvements (the steering in particular is dramatically better), higher quality interior materials, updated tech and tweaked styling.
What are the Arteon interior and in-car technology like?
As much as Volkswagen improved the Arteon’s interior last year with higher-quality materials and better trim, it really only brought it up to snuff for midsize sedans like the Honda Accord and Hyunda
It gets the Golf R's 300-hp powertrain for '22 https://youtu.be/DfcYB4x2dyo
The 2022 VW Arteon attempts to be the answer for those who have outgrown their GTI or Golf R. That might seem ironic given that the GTI has long been described as the only car you need. It’s fun, well-made, well-equipped, reasonably efficient and practical. Ditto the Golf R, which adds even more fun and all-weather assurance thanks to its all-wheel-drive system. The trouble is, practicality tends to be redefined once you need to put a kid in the back seat and the mountains of stuff they require in the trunk. A GTI could get the job done, but it wouldn’t be easy. Enter the Arteon.
For 2022, it now has the same new engine as the new Golf R, a 2.0-liter turbocharged inline-four that produces 300 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque. It offers the previous Golf R’s Haldex all-wheel-drive system, but comes standard with front-wheel drive. That’s a massive amount of thrust to channel through the front wheels only, but it manages to quell torque steer remarkably well … just like the GTI, actually. And indeed, the Arteon absolutely feels like it sprouted from the same branch of the family tree as the GTI and Golf R. That hasn’t always been the case with the Arteon, but this latest iteration absolutely does ¬– even if this larger, heavier car on an older variation of VW’s MQB platform unsurprisingly can’t match the verve of its smaller, newer siblings. It’s a fun car to drive, and its massive back seat and Audi Sportback-style trunk grant it that extra practicality that those who’ve outgrown their GTI or Golf R are looking for. It’s definitely a more engaging alternative than a Taos or Tiguan.
Unfortunately, the Arteon starts to make less sense once you look outside the Volkswagen family. Its starting price is north of $40,000 with a loaded SEL Premium R-Line that crosses $50,000. That might be reasonable given the Golf R’s price tag, but you’re in luxury sedan territory there, with a list of alternatives that would make this paragraph laughably long. True, the Arteon is now more powerful than most of those at this price range (usually considerably so), but the fact remains that a Volkswagen sedan will never be considered a luxury sedan. Even if some might consider it the only car they’d need.
What's new for 2022?
As described above, the Arteon gets the new Golf R’s EA888 evo4 engine and DSG transmission for 2022. The base SE also gains the R-Line’s sportier looks. This is on top of a substantial overhaul last year that brought chassis improvements (the steering in particular is dramatically better), higher quality interior materials, updated tech and tweaked styling.
What are the Arteon interior and in-car technology like?
As much as Volkswagen improved the Arteon’s interior last year with higher-quality materials and better trim, it really only brought it up to snuff for midsize sedans like the Honda Accord and Hyunda
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