The Volkswagen Arteon Looks Like a Worthy Replacement for the CC

The Volkswagen CC was one of the first cars to jump on the “four-door coupe” craze that has swept the design houses of the German car companies. It was essentially a more stylish Passat, but with less rear headroom and a nicer interior. Unfortunately, the CC wasn’t able to make enough of a radical departure from the Passat to justify the higher price tag — and the CC never seemed like it could decide whether it wanted to be a sports sedan or a luxury sedan.

Volkswagen has now shown us the replacement for the CC, the Arteon, and it looks like it will be a massive improvement.

First and foremost, the Arteon is now going to be based on Volkswagen’s lightweight and rigid MQB architecture, which has been successfully implemented in the Golf, Audi TT, Audi A3 and the upcoming Atlas SUV. This means it’ll probably be able to handle itself in the corners, while providing a comfortable ride when cruising on the highway. VW hasn’t released the full powertrain lineup for the U.S. market, but the top option will be a 276 horsepower 2.0-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder, which will ship mated to a DSG dual-clutch gearbox and all-wheel drive.

Inside, the Arteon has conservative yet elegant interior typical of Volkswagen, but with a few more toys. It will be available with VW’s new Digital Cockpit and a 9.2-inch touchscreen infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, as well as adaptive cruise control and adaptive headlights. There will be a more room in the backseat of the Arteon over the CC, which will be a welcome improvement. And the Arteon pulls all of this off while sporting an incredibly sleek design, with a sloping fastback-style roofline and a front end that looks nothing like any other sedan in the lineup.

The Arteon will likely be priced similarly to the current CC, which starts around $34,500, with the highest trim approaching $38,000. That may sound expensive for the People’s Car, but I think it will have the chops to back it up. Just think of it as the blue-collar Audi A7. Find a Volkswagen Arteon for sale

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