The facelifted VW Arteon liftback has been
snapped out and about by our photographers with virtually no camouflage,
providing us with an unimpeded look at the refreshed design. If you’re familiar
with the outgoing Arteon, you’ll notice that the updated model looks virtually
identical – only those with the keenest of eyes will notice the differences.
The most notable change comes in the shape of the restyled headlights which
appear slightly smaller than those of the current model.
The grille has also been simplified with
less chrome, while tweaked air intakes are also visible. In addition, tweaks
have been made to the taillights, though the lights of this prototype appear to
feature tape over some of the edges to hide the new design. Sticking with the
rear, this most recent prototype debuts new ‘Arteon’ lettering on the tailgate
that uses a new font and has the individual letters placed closer together.
The biggest news related to the updated VW
Arteon is the fact that it will be available in performance-focused ‘R’ guise,
but opinions are split regarding the Arteon R’s powertrain. Some sources claim
power will come from a 333 PS 2.0-liter turbocharged
four-cylinder engine from the new Golf R, sending power to all four wheels via
a dual-clutch automatic transmission.
Others believe VW’s new 3.0-liter VR6
twin-turbocharged engine will power the Arteon R, offering up as much as 400 PS in combination with a DSG transmission and 4Motion AWD system. Rumors
suggest that’ll be enough to send the range-topper to 100 km/h in
roughly 4 seconds. It is not just the Arteon liftback that is getting a refresh
as a Shooting Brake model will join the family. Photos of this car recently
surfaced out of China where it is dubbed the Volkswagen CC Travel Edition. Our
sources suggest the updated VW Arteon will launch before the end of the year as
a 2021 model.
