We’ve been admiring the good looks of Volkswagen’s CC replacement, the Arteon, for nearly a year now?from afar, that is. But now VW has finally announced U.S.-market information for the 2019 Arteon, and it doesn’t appear to be at all dumbed down compared to the Europe-market version that has been on sale for a while now.
Like the European Arteon we drove last year, all U.S. cars will come standard with a version of VW’s 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine that puts out 268 hp and 258 lb-ft of torque. It will power the front wheels as standard through an eight-speed automatic transmission?the six-speed manual once offered on the CC is no more?and 4Motion all-wheel drive will be optional on each of the three trim levels: SE, SEL, and SEL Premium.
Because the Arteon is intended to sit in a more upmarket segment than the plebeian Passat, its list of standard features is generous. The SE comes with an adaptive damping system, proximity-key entry, three-zone automatic climate control, forward collision warning and autonomous emergency braking, blind-spot monitoring, and an 8.0-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Stepping through the SEL and SEL Premium trims adds equipment such as a digital instrument cluster, a panoramic sunroof, a power liftgate (yes, the Arteon is a hatchback), and other active-safety features including adaptive cruise control and lane-departure warning. Standard wheels are 18-inches while 19-inchers are ...