2017 Geneva Motor Show: Volkswagen Arteon revealed

THE Volkswagen Arteon has been unveiled ahead of its debut at the Geneva Motor Show, revealing the German carmaker’s latest evolution of its four-door coupe.

The Arteon, described as a replacement for the Passat-based CC but expected to sit above the Passat passenger car line as the flagship passenger car in VW’s showroom, looks very much like the Sport Coupé Concept GTE revealed at Geneva in 2015.

The Arteon introduces a radical change for Volkswagen’s design. The coupe-like profile of the four-door gran turismo looks low and wide. Frameless doors add to a sense of luxury, while inside the Arteon – built on Volkswagen’s new “MQB” Modular Transverse Matrix platform – is said to boast a surprising amount of legroom for its dimensions.

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In Europe, the Arteon will launch with the choice of six engines under the bonnet, including a 100kW 1.5-litre four-cylinder unit that includes cylinder deactivation to help save fuel under light engine loads.

However, Australia will take a version of the Arteon powered by the most powerful engine on offer, a 206kW 2.0-litre four-cylinder, sending drive to all four wheels via a seven-speed wet dual-clutch gearbox.

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When it land here in October, the Arteon should price from about $65,000. Its fastback form still sets it apart from almost everything else in its price range, although it will sit rather close to the entry-level Audi A5.

The Arteon is one of 60 new models the carmaker will introduce in 2017 including an all-new VW Polo, the Skoda Yeti, the Porsche Cayenne, the Audi A8, and the Bentley Continental GT.

The carmaker also used Geneva to announce it has also set itself the target of having more than 30 battery-driven cars on the market by 2025.

View our full coverage of the Geneva Motor Show 2017.