I enjoy how you always give us all the needed info we’re looking for....AND more. The more keeps me coming back all the time. Thanks Alex

I work at a VW dealer and we have had our 2019 Arteons for a full year now and they won't move because no one knows about them! They're beautiful but VW has done nothing to advertise them.. so frustrating!

I would definitely buy an Arteon wagon if it was sold here.

Just purchased my arteon an love everything about it. It has all the power I need to pass or merge into traffic. I like that I have something thats different from everyone else an hope vw continues to make sedans. I left chvy for thats reason. I can't wait to see how the 4 motion douse in the winter. This car has style an what I need living in the NY snow belt.

I'm impressed by the Arteon both in its looks and in its driving dynamics. When VW brought it to the US in 2019 Herbert Diess, VW's CEO said in an interview that he didn't expect to sell many in the US but wanted to show American consumers what VW stood for in Europe. In fact, now that VW has announced it will not sell the base Golf in the US for at least the next two years, the only VW's that closely resemble their Europspec counterparts are the GTI, the Golf R and the Arteon. (The Arteon sedan lacks several engine choices and the DSG available in Europe but it's otherwise virtually identical to the European version.) I agree with Alex that the tuning of the engine in the R version would be a delight, especially in the AWD version. But since it's the same EA888 motor as the GTI, Golf R, as well as in the American version of the Tiguan and the Passat in various states of engine and turbo tuning, a Stage I ECU will provide substantially more HP and torque than the stock Arteon with HP over 300 and torque at a similar level. And contrary to claims to the contrary a third party tune does not invalidate the VW warranty unless a problem can be shown to result directly from the tuning mod. For a Stage 1 tune that's very, very rare. In any event, the stock Arteon is no slouch. If you've never driven one you're likely to be surprised by its performance. In terms of evaluating the Arteon it's important to keep in mind the difference between Americans' and Europeans' conception of "performance." Americans invented drag racing; Europeans invented rallies. In America a "road race" is likely to be NASCAR with cars going round and round an oval where turning left is a primary task. European road racing is more likely to be on actual public roads or circuits designed to emulate them. For Americans "performance" metrics begin and usually end with 0-60 acceleration and straight line quarter mile times. Europeans often think of "performance" in terms of cruising at more than 100 mph (the "tonne") in comfort for hours on superbly maintained highways. For that mission the Arteon is an appealing candidate. Finally, as far as price is concerned, here in the Seattle area dealers are offering current top trim AWD Arteons at around $38K to $40K, a price that makes it an appealing alternative to a top trim Accord or Camry. If I were in the market for such a vehicle, the Arteon would be at the top of my list.

I don't know why most reviews don't call out something obvious - this is a cheaper Audi A5 Sportback, which is an excellent car. The body is almost exactly the same except for the VW styling, same engine, and tons of the exterior and interior parts are from the Audi parts bin. Alex touched on it a bit here, but only a bit.

I really hope Volkswagen changes its mind and sends us the shooting brake, that would be my dream car.

GM and VW: puts wagons in US market hoping it will sell. Also GM and VW: Does not spend money on ads. US doesn't buy it. GM and VW: Pikachu face

Ah yes. Touch buttons for the volume. Something that worked out great for Honda.

Ford has an interesting solution to keeping exhausts clean on the new Explorer. The exhaust pipes are routed downward before the end of the visual pipes so that exhaust still comes out of them as a whole but soot doesn’t get them dirty. It’s kinda hard to describe. Just google it

Great Vehicle, very old engine. The wagon looks beautiful

Would it kill vw to color match the shark fin antenna? For this price, especially....i mean if cheap econo boxes can do it vw can do it for 30-40k +$

I never got the SUV nor the crossover bug, I'm still a sedan driver.

I would buy a Wagon over a Sedan or a Crossover. I wish more people in America make the shift to Wagons!

Does it come with a HUD? From what I see, I might consider buying on since it has the same storage of a SUV, but looks like a hot coupe.

Did they announce a release day? The 2019 Arteon was delayed heavily. I bought my 2019 Arteon with significant discounts because it had been sitting on a dealer lot nearby. Coming from a 2017 A4, I love it. Seeing the updates the 2021, there's a lot of merit in it, but I can't help but feel a little dissuaded by the touch controls for audio, steering wheel, and climate controls. I think they'll work fine and give it a clean look. I do like the updated badging and would enjoy having lane centering. Also, if the 2021 model comes with their more robust mobile app experience, that would be an awesome addition.

I know the stinger might drive better, but I do love the way this looks. It's on my short list

Alex when can you do a detailed review of this car? Thanks

I like more traditional exterior design, and so I love this look. Beautiful and should age well. The interior upgrades are really excellent as well. I'm accustomed to leasing 5 series BMWs (for business reasons) but will buy a car later this year as I retire. this will suit me better than a mass market Honda or Toyota, I think, although both make excellent cars. I look forward to your review and based on that I will test drive one when its available. I could delay until the new Acura TLX is available. After all, I'll be living with the car for more than my usual 3 year lease so I want to avoid a "regrettable mistake."

The new Arteon is out for a while now when we can expect a detailed review?

I don't even car they're not changing the powertrain this looks amazing

The wagon style really stands out! Nice interior, too. Why is VW allergic to horsepower?

I want that wagon!!!

I NEED THE Euro R- just for the seats, steering wheel and rims!!!

Anyone who has watched the Tour de France on TV will see oodles of wagons parked at the side of the road and being used a support vehicles. Europeans just love wagons but unfortunately the U.S. and up here in Canada not so much. The 3 series wagon will no longer be sold in Canada but on the upside we get the C class Mercedes wagon including the awesome AMG C43 wagon. And Volvo will sell you a V90 without the lift kit and silly spats around the wheel arches (Cross Country). But there is a rumour (yes, that's how it's spelled) that Americans can get a non Cross Country V90 if you ask your local dealer nicely and pay full sticker of course as it's a custom order. On the other hand you may be the only one in your state who has one. Rarer than a Bugatti!

Wow! You actually said "imitation leathter" which is spot on - over at Redwhine Reviews, Sandrip says "leatherette". He's wrong and he's masking the "fake leather" aspect which is vinyl or a composite of that. Your review is more informative and is better composed - you don't make yourself the center of attention like Sandrip does and that is a great thing - full screen b-roll is not a bad thing. Once again you are one of the best reviewers on the internet and make up for amateurs with bad edits over at Redwhine. Keep up the great work!

1:40 What's happened to the BumperDillo??

The wagon looks very nice. I would go for that if offered in the US.

Arteon is an excellent car. Really enjoyed the extended test drive I had, but it's a little too pokey, needs the VR6 or at least another 25% more power to be competitive and of course the price nearing $50k doesn't make a lot of sense either. It's a shame as it was a very enjoyable car but not competitive at it's price.

Already comes with the R engine Alex!!! A warrantied reflash with apr yeilds 400+ hp

I’ve seen this thing in person, it has a really nice road presence but needs more power for me to consider one.

Appreciate the display screen is not on the dashboard and not fighting drivers’ visibility. I’ll buy for that reason alone.

Excellent

Alex just an FYI you need to hi pass/remove the low rumble in your desk videos probably everything under 100K? your hands on desk are coming through as a very low rumble especially when you listen with good headphones I thought a large truck was going by my house ...love your car reviews

Would this be comparable to the Toyota Avalon; a slightly larger and more premium version of the Camry?

They should sell the plugin hybrid in the US.

refresh? already? i live in california in a pretty decent sized city with two vw dealers and i have yet to see an arteon on the road. I mean it is a gorgeous car but very expensive and with a lackluster powertrain i dont see it being a sales success. why not use the 4 cylinder from the golf R? give it a little bit of tweeking and give it over 300 hp? and perhaps a bit of suspension tuning. saw lots of reviews saying it didnt feel special and was expensive. vw you need a FOCUS GROUP and perhaps listen with an open mind

It's a shame the only ones I'm interested in are the ones the US won't get. I would LOVE to have a wagon, if they brought this to America it'd be the only affordable sporty wagon in the market pretty much. I'm definitely going for a Kia Stinger now if they don't even bring the R version. Vw really screwed up the Arteon for the US unfortunately

More power would make this vehicle perfect!

Wish they would bring TDIs back. Would be great with this vehicle!!!

Is VW still using indirect TPMS? Or have they finally come into the 21st century with direct TPMS and individual tire pressure display?

This is a very handsome vehicle !

Exhaust tips..just make em black and real! Geeeeez

You don’t need the R Design for 2021 in the States. For ~$1200 usd you can get the APR+ tune which will bring it up to ~360 hp.

Shooting brake used to be 2 door wagon

I really hope they bring the R model to the US to compete better with the Stinger and the Type S

Hey Alex, I remember the good old days when VW would take a car like the Arteon and drop an Audi-spec V6 under the hood - and grab a few Audi customers while racing to the bank. How times have changed!

I would consider the Arteon R line. I love the styling and practicality of the Arteon (a hatchback that doesn't look like one AND a full sized spare) but the standard model is too heavy for that engine.

The new 2.0L TLX should be comparable to the current Accord at around 5.5s 0-60. I seriously doubt the Arteon will break 6s flat.

I don't agree that VW has trouble with wagons. I see Alltracks almost as much as Outbacks here in the Seattle/PNW area. A lot with manual transmissions too. Dealers seem to keep them stocked, and I've not seen any indication that VW will actually stop making them, like they've indicated for over a year now.

I prefer the profile of my vehicles to look the same. The directional rims spoil the one side for me.

I thought a 4-door wagon was an estate, and a 2-door was a shooting brake?

the new intro is so hot

In the U.S., the Arteon is for people who want a more luxurious Passat but don't need gobs of horsepower.

No volume knob would annoy me

A true shooting brake doesn’t have rear doors. Then again, neither did coupes until recently...

I would like VW to start using amber tail signal light again. Even the new F150 has adopted it. VW is now trailing behind a pick-up truck on the design trend.

The underwhelming engine of this car really holds it back IMO. if that R line model with the 300+ hp was available I would definitely consider getting this car.

Arteon definitely has the Q50 and and stinger beat from a looks stand point, but that 270 horsepower just isn’t cutting it for me

Another epic review/preview here Alex!!! It's not a bad looking car but that fake exhaust just needs to go. Give us real pipes out back or just clean up the bumper please VW!!! Interior treatments have been vastly improved too!!! EDIT...... THAT ARTEON WAGON NEEDS TO COME HERE. PLEASE VW .... WAGON.... BRING IT STATESIDE.... We know it won't be a volume seller but please please please bring that thing over here. ... we have enough SUV's now!!!! Bring Back wagons!!!

Would love to get my hands on the new TDI but sadly California EPA ruined it for the rest of the United States!

What they should’ve done was made the body style like the BMW X6 now that would really set the mark

At kzfaq.info/get/bejne/gZuSabaBqZbRlKs.html the lane-keeping doesn't seem to be working.

Hey Alex, Don't fret over horsepower in the Arteon. There are numerous VW tuners out there. Love the enhanced style, head and shoulders over the Stinger, Regal, TLX, even the A5 Sportback. Love the dash & steering wheel layout. This is like an American car, with cruise buttons & tach on left side, and speedo/radio controls on the right side. Japanese cars are reversed since they drive on the left side of the road in Japan, they won't pay for a mirror image wheel for cars driven on the right side. Fortunately Germany is like America in that sense.

The Arteon is built on the same MQB platform as the European Passat. FYI, the Euro Passat is definitely more luxurious, performs and handles better than the US Passat.

I liked the Arteon for the longest time... so long that I lost interest when it arrived in US.

Throw some real reliability and durability into this package and i would definitely consider. But until then.....not a chance for me. Ive been badly burned by a brand new VW before and I haven't seen too much change in terms of quality and reliability since then. That was 2001.

If the didn't change the engine then did the touch the handling. I Walked away from the 2019 as it was a boat. Nothing like an A4

in the end, it all comes back to the price. At 50k I would just get an Audi since they have a 0.9% interest rate leasing now.

I’d probably still buy a Stinger. You can get a screaming deal on them. Doug DeMuro recently bought a brand new 2018 model for a substantial discount since it had sat on the lot for nearly 2 years

How about a Nissan Maxima wagon :)

Something as simple as functional dual exhaust tips can make a difference in overall decision to purchase. It's ridiculous that a car costing almost 50k would have anything fake in the exhaust strusture. The Accord and even chinsey Korean brands offer such. The VW SUV's and CUV's offer the real exhaust tips, the flagship sedan should have them. I have the 280 hp V6 CC 4Motion Executive series, other than abnormal tire wear, great car! Hopefully that issue was addressed on the Arteon. A lot of extras and full dual exhaust front to rear, no issues with keeping it clean, that's a lame excuse. Too bad VW doesn't offer that engine or a turbo V6 to get the HP well up in the 300's. What a winner that would be knocking out competition costing much more. Great looking car though... VW pay attention especially on the exhaust ports..

I wish they renewed the infotainment + interior for the new Atlas. Pretty disappointed.

Wagon please! Yes with the RS3 power plant! Hate the fake tail pipes!!!!!! If we had this car the way we really want it it would be $60,000. But with all that said I saw the 2021 just yesterday at the dealer, and it's beautiful in person in the "R Line". Anything below the R Line looks boring. The one I saw did not have the beautiful seats shown in your video. Not sure why. I think for the money you are getting a lot. I am a long term GTI owner as well as an Audi Allroad owner. I don't really have a big problem with the 4cyl, It's nothing a APR tune cant fix.

On wikipedia it says ,R Version goes from 0-100 in 5,1 seconds..To me that"s very very disappointing,because R Version should be at least under 5,0...It looks great,but....

The VW sport wagons are too small so selling a larger Arteon wagon makes more sense plus it is very nice looking. Too bad its not coming here. I guess I'll have to get a Subaru or an overpriced Audi Allroad $$$.

Bring over the plug-in hybrid.

Poor man's A5. I'll take it, its a real looker.

VW can bring back the W8 motor.

Give me the wagon!!!!!!!!!

Like the look of the vehicle absolutely hate fake exhaust. If it is not the actual exhaust then leave the area blank.

Why VW can't make the Jetta look like this?

I really like but if I were to replace my Camaro with this as a more new dad approved car they would have to have the R available here. And if they did I would go shooting brake over the sedan. I think I read they have considered offering the wagon more if the lame US homologation rules didn't make them have to crash test it as a completely new model.

I would think this would be more powerful.

Poor decision by VW to withhold the 315-hp engine. Vehicle looks nice but lacks power making for a challenging competitive position.

Way better than stinger

A direct competition to 2021 TLX and think looks better.

When you compare it to the Audi A5, the power is similar.

It doesn't need higher power. I think the power issue is a symptom of the US market only getting higher powered versions of other cars because cars are generally much cheaper. A Mercedes C180 (1.6 litre 4 cylinder turbo), BMW 318i (1.5 litre 3 cylinder turbo) and Audi A4 1.4 tfsi (1.4 litre 4 cylinder turbo) all make around 156hp and cost the same as the equivalent C300 or 330i in the US sadly. Those brands demand a higher premium and therefore it makes the VW Passat and Arteon an attractive option since it has more power for less money than those. In some parts of the world they don't even sell the avalon and if they do, there's no V6 but a wheezy naturally aspirated 4 cylinder. The Honda Accord has also been removed from some markets but even if it was there, it would've probably only had Honda's 1.5 turbo all because the higher powered versions would be stupidly priced. So this car is tailored alot to non US like markets like Europe. It doesn't seem to make sense in the US. If they offer you a higher powered version, you're getting a premium car with alot of power and then the US market will complain about the price. Some people below already are. The Arteon is a euro spec VW and won't be cheap but the US will expect it to be because it's a VW. VW straddles many segments. They compete in some segments with the premium carmakers but at the same time can also do very basic cars like the VW UP which competes with the Kia Picanto, Hyundai i10 and Toyota Aygo. But then the VW will still be more expensive because it is engineered to a much higher level than those other small cheap cars. VW is different to the other mainstream carmakers. It's like premium mainstream. Don't know how else to put it. In my country they have 5 of their vehicles in the top 10 best selling cars per month. And premium doesn't always mean higher power. Besides, there is going to be an Arteon R, see Autogefuhl: kzfaq.info/get/bejne/mZmId82Ayp2dlGQ.html

Great looking car. Just needs some more power.

Yes more liftbacks. NA needs to lnow the glory of lift back sedans

Wagon!

So they updated everything but the thing that matters. Drivetrain. Where's the EV options. The germans are miles behind at the moment.

The 2020 colors is the first turn off. Honestly VW? Only "Black & White"?! Hopefully the 2021 has some more colors.

Weak power numbers. Put the golf R engine in there and then I’d consider it.

Anyone else see a happy clown face at the 3:50 mark?

I only have one thing to say "Stinger GT"

3:11 VW dont do SW. It's why they're screwed.

I love wagons but this one looks better in fastback form. Interior is still old.

Outro music is nice but intro is highly annoying.