If you’re looking for a car more versatile than a typical sedan but don’t want a crossover, your choices are limited, especially if it must be stylish. That leaves you to look at hatchbacks and wagons, and thankfully the ones still available in North America aren’t all staid and vanilla. Despite its svelte, low-slung appearance, the 2019 Volkswagen Arteon is surprisingly versatile. Clever packaging means the Arteon pleases the head and the heart. Here are some of the key details that make the 2019 Arteon a great package.
Read our 2019 Volkswagen Arteon First Test right here!
Ready for Hauling
Open the 2019 Volkswagen Arteon’s hatch, and you’ll immediately see that this Teutonic beauty has an interior that’s been carved to provide as much usable space as possible. With 27.2 cubic feet with all seats in place and 55.0 cubic feet with the second row folded, the Arteon has crossover-rivaling cargo capacity. (Different measurement formulas for crossover and hatchback cargo room make direct comparisons of the numbers difficult, but a subjective assessment confirms there’s no shortage of space.) A low lift-over height also makes loading and unloading cargo less of a hassle.
Comfortable Accommodations
The Arteon’s front bucket seats offer a nice balance of support and comfort. On a winding road, the seats hold you in place well and keep you from sliding around too much. When you’re commuting, the soft padding coddles you and helps you stay refreshed on long freeway slogs. Rear-seat occupants also have plenty of legroom to stretch out, and there’s enough headroom that only the tallest of adults will have issues.
I Can See (Out the Windows)!
A large greenhouse in a swoopy four-door? Why, yes! Even with a side profile this sleek, visibility out of the car is excellent. The windows are surprisingly large, making the car’s cabin feel airy and open, something you can’t always say about coupelike sedans and hatchbacks.
Almost Luxurious
Most pieces of the 2019 Volkswagen Arteon’s interior feel substantial, from the super-squishy dash to the door panels. Unfortunately, cost cutting prevents the Arteon’s interior from punching above its weight. All the blank buttons around the shifter (even on the range-topping SEL Premium trim) and the knobs that clearly came out of a Jetta or Golf detract from the cabin’s overall ambiance. The door panels and touchpoints in the rear also feel less substantial than the ones up front.
Mostly Quiet
Plenty of sound-deadening material keeps the Arteon’s interior from getting too noisy on the highway. That changes if you opt for the larger 19-inch alloy wheels, which create more road and tire noise on uneven pavement. (VW also offers 20-inch wheels for maximum curb appeal.)
Tech Without Intimidation
Unlike some German luxury brands, Volkswagen’s multimedia system puts user-friendliness first (there’s no big learning curve). The touch-sensitive buttons flanking the 8.0-inch touchscreen are responsive while the knobs keep things familiar. There’s even a cool feature that once your hand gets close to the touchscreen, the submenus automatically pop up. Minimalism remains the prominent theme in the 2019 Volkswagen Arteon’s interior. Even with the available Digital Cockpit system, the tech inside the Arteon remains user-friendly. No touchpads or mouselike controllers to send you into a fit of rage here.
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