New Volkswagen Arteon R goes on sale from £ 59,615 Car News

Volkswagen has opened order books for the new arteon R fastback and Arteon R Shooting Brake, with prices starting at £ 51,615 and £ 52,435 respectively.

Both performance versions of the Executive Cruiser sit at the top of the range, for which prices currently start from £35,435 and £ 37,640 respectively. Cheaper variants of each body type will be introduced later, but for now tThe price of the fastback marks a slight premium over the outgoing model. The new R-Line variant is priced at £ 38,255 as a four-door and £ 39,055 as a shooting brake.

Pricing for the new eHybrid variant of the plugin will be revealed at a later date.

The Arteon was launched in 2017 but was previously only offered in a fastback body. The new Arteon Shooting Brake variant features a distinct design from the rear B-pillars, with an elongated roofline, tapered greenhouse, prominent hips above the rear wheels and a sloping tailgate.

Official figures show that the Shooting Brake offers 565 liters of trunk space (compared to 563 liters in the fastback) and 1,632 liters with the seats folded down (1,557 liters), but Volkswagen says that because the space above the belt line is not included in these measurements, the cargo space of the Shooting Brake is in fact significantly larger.

Both R versions arrive as part of the continued expansion of Volkswagen’s R performance division lineup. They will use the fourth evolution of the company’s venerable 2.0-liter four-cylinder EA888 turbo gasoline engine, producing 316 hp and 310 lb-ft, a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission and an updated version of the system. 4Motion four-wheel drive transmission.

A new R Performance torque vectoring system would have been inspired by similar setups on race cars. It can polarize up to 100% of the engine’s power “in a few milliseconds” to either axle or one of the four wheels, making the Arteon “perceptually more agile”, says Volkswagen . Torque distribution is determined by a combination of steering angle, throttle input, lateral acceleration, yaw rate and speed.

The new Arteon eHybrid, available in both body styles, uses the plug-in hybrid powertrain from the Passat GTE: a 154bhp 1.4-liter turbo petrol four-cylinder with a 113bhp electric motor. Both units have a combined output of 215 hp, which is sent to the front wheels via a six-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox. The eHybrid offers an electric-only range of 33 miles and can operate in zero emission mode at speeds of up to 87 mph.

There are also three turbo petrol engines and two diesel engines in the Arteon range. The oils range from 187hp to 276hp, while the 148hp and 197hp diesels come with an updated Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) filter and a new AdBlue system which Volkswagen says reduces fuel costs. NOx emissions of about 80%. Buyers can choose between a six-speed manual or a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic, with four-wheel drive offered across the lineup.

Unlike the new Golf, the Arteon is not available with mild hybrid powertrains, as it still sits atop the MQB platform at original specs. This means that it is unlikely that any mild hybrid variants will be introduced before the arrival of the second-generation model.

The restyled Arteon receives a series of design changes, including a new grille with a light strip, revised LED headlights and a range of new model alloy wheels ranging in diameter from 18 inches to 20 inches. There are four different styles: Basic, Elegance, R-Line, and R. Performance models feature typical R-style elements, including a reinforced front bumper with large cooling ducts, painted brake calipers. blue, chrome tailpipes and 20-inch performance ‘alloys.

Inside there is a redesigned dashboard with a new top section, a standard 10.25-inch digital instrument display, a new multifunction steering wheel and Volkswagen’s latest infotainment system, complete with a standard touchscreen. 8.0 inch or 9.2 inch optional.