2018 Volkswagen Arteon aims upmarket for Australia

Volkswagen Australia has taken an all-or-nothing approach with its all-new Arteon luxury sedan by only bringing out a highly-featured 206TSI R-Line model to Australian showrooms.

The fastback sedan will come almost fully-specced with the only options being premium paint, panoramic glass sunroof, Dynaudio Premium Sound System and 20-inch Rosario alloy wheels (pictured).

On announcing local specifications, Volkswagen Australia General Manager of Marketing and Product Ben Wilks says such a car “should include the highest level of standard specification”.

To that end the Arteon 206TSI R-Line will come here with long list of features, including Volkswagen firsts such as head-up display, "Emergency Assist 2 Proactive" and VW's "Occupant Protection System". Emergency Assist 2 detects when a driver is incapacitated and turns on the hazard lights before autonomously coming to a safe stop in the inner-most lane, while Proactive Occupant Protection System detects a rear collision threat and reacts by turning on the hazard warning lights, closing the windows and pulling the seatbelts tight to reduce the likelihood of injury.

Other standard features in the Arteon 206TSI R-Line include:

• Reversing camera with Area View
• Dynamic Light Assist
• Three- colour Ambient Interior Lighting
• LED headlights with Dynamic Light Assist
• Frameless side windows
• Heated front and rear seats
• 19" Montevideo Alloys
• Unique R-Line seats
• Nappa leather upholstery
• Active Info Display
• Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC)
• Front Assist with City Emergency Braking
• Side (lane changing) Assist
• Rear Traffic Alert
• Lane Keeping Assist
• Park Assist
• Adaptive Chassis Control
• Driving Profile Selection
• Discover Pro 9.2" Infotainment System with Gesture Control
• Keyless access and push button start

The Passat CC replacement has even more stunning looks than its predecessor, with frameless side windows, wrap-around bonnet, a fastback silhouette and liftback which provides easy access to the substantial 563-litre luggage compartment.

It has a 50mm longer wheel base than the regular Passat, which translates to 45mm more leg room (to 1016mm) and 95mm extra headroom.

The Arteon 206TSI R-Line will be powered by a 206kW/350Nm 2.0-litre, four-cylinder turbo petrol mated to the new DQ381 7-speed DSG automatic transmission and 4MOTION all-wheel-drive drivetrain. Volkswagen is yet to publish fuel economy figures though it has revealed a 0-100km/h time of 5.6 seconds.

Volkswagen Australia will reveal Arteon 206TSI R-Line pricing closer to its Australian launch, though expect a price tag between $60,000 and $70,000.