VW teases all-new Arteon shooting brake

Ok, it’s only a sketch, but boy does this Volkswagen Arteon shooting brake — why do manufacturers now insist on calling estate cars ‘shooting brakes’ — look good. And the better new is, it’ll form part of the new facelifted Arteon range when it’s officially launched later this month.

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This teaser image from VW illustrates the low-slung estate car sibling which will join the slinky Arteon hatchback in the new range. The estate will arrive in the UK towards the end of 2020, while an Arteon R version of the fastback — possibly delivering around 300bhp, and available as estate or hatchback — will be also available.

Will the production version of the estate look as good?

Hmmm … we’ll have to wait and see. It’s fair to say some of the ‘scoop’ shots of the estate, ahead of launch, show a car which is nicely elegant, but which lacks some of the ‘wow factor’ illustrated in the sketch. In fairness, that’s par for the course when comparing sketches and ‘real world’ cars.

That said, the Arteon estate certainly looks to be the best-looking model in the range, and promises to combine stylish looks with a rakishly sporting rear end. It could well be one of the most aspirational lifestyle estates on the market.

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Worth mentioning, the sister Passat Estate outsells the saloon 2:1 in the UK, so it’s reasonable to expect the Arteon will follow suit.

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What else do we know about the ‘shooting brake’?

Expect new quarter light windows, updated tail lights, and a new tailgate, all in addition to the sloping roofline. At the front. we’ll need to wait and see whether the new front bumper, with a unique radiator grille and redesigned air intakes, — as illustrated in the sketch — actually make it to the full production car.

Like the hatch, the estate will benefit from an all-new cabin layout. Centre to that will be VW’s latest MIB3 infotainment system. Though VW has yet to confirm details, it’s pretty safe to assume the technology will feature a 11.7-inch digital instrument binnacle and a 9.2-inch infotainment system lifted straight from the current Passat.

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Anything else we should expect to see?

VW has confirmed the second-generation Arteon will be available with a new “Travel Assist” semi-autonomous driving mode. According to the carmaker, it’s been planned “particularly with long-distance journeys in mind”. Under the driver’s supervision, it will take over steering, acceleration and braking up to speeds of 130mph.

What about the engines?

Again, VW is keeping pretty tightlipped. What it has said though is “all engines feature high levels of efficiency as well as low emissions and powerful torque”.

It’s most likely the estate range will include the same petrol and diesel engines as the existing hatch. That means the entry-level would be a 148bhp 2.0-litre four-cylinder diesel, while the range would also include a 268bhp 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol unit, with a seven-speed automatic gearbox plus four-wheel-drive.

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And in addition to the R performance version, we should expect a plug-in hybrid to be included in the new Arteon range. Logically this would feature the same 215bhp plug-in hybrid powertrain as the new Skoda Superv iV.

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