As we wafted down Oxford Street in the heart of Sydney’s gay Mecca, a twink crossing at Taylor Square gave us the thumbs up, saying, “nice!.” Not for a moment did I suspect the attractive blonde was talking about anything but the Volkswagen Arteon.
We continued down Oxford, through the city, and on to The Rocks for our pub lunch. After a quick Shepard’s Pie and low-count beer, we continued over the Harbour Bridge, and on to our overnight digs. Ethan’s place on the Hawkesbury sits high on the sandstone cliffs, overlooks the river, and has sea glimpses beyond.
I could go on about the quirky sandstone cottage from Australia’s early days as a colony, but it was Ethan who turned our attention to the Arteon by bringing drinks to the verandah. The day’s driving done, we tucked into a cleanskin red. If I’m honest, it tasted like a bottle worth nearer the hundy than a fiver. In many ways it paralleled our VW. It is a car that looks and feels more than it costs, at least hear in Australia.
It is A cheap Audi in a different frock
Even in the base model elegance, the only option is a sunroof, unlike Audi that has a host of pricey options.
The LED matrix lights work brilliantly, and is something hard to live without if you like an evening spin. Leave lights and wipers in fully automatic mode, and you never need worry, and the same goes for the rest of the driver aids. There is the usual blind spot monitor, and a vast array of airbags, and the Travel Assist makes long distance touring feel stress free. Smart cruise and lane centering make the car feel more like all passengers are being chauffeured, even the driver.
Active damping changes with drive mode settings, but it is the engine that was most surprising. 140kw/320Nm might sound a trifle limp, but even in normal mode, the front wheels scamper when the loafer is thrust into the carpet. I’d prefer VW’s 8-speed automatic to the 7-speed DSG
If the 7.9sec 0-100 is not enough for you, there is a 206kw/400Nm model that’ll do the same sprint in 5.5 seconds. That gets you to your destination a whole 3 seconds faster, big deal.
The weekend, and the shortish drive out to the city limits, was hardly a test of what Arteon can do, but was more likely what it will be used for.
The big tourer would take a couple in the back with plenty of legroom, with the outer seats being heated. Front seats are heated and cooled, with a gentle massage available at the touch of a button.
In short, Volkswagen Arteon is a cheaper Audi A5/A7. The infotainment system is the older VW system so has proper climate controls separate from the infotainment screen, HOORAH. My love/hate relationship with the brand-new system is turning, and not in a good way.
#volkswagenarteon, #2022volkswagenarteonelegancereview, #gayvolkswagenarteon, #gaygrandtourer, #volkswagenarteon140tsi, #favouritegaycoupé
with Alan from gaycarboys.com