What defines a luxury car? Well, I guess that depends on your tastes but for me, it’s a distinct style that draws every inch of your attention. The fluidity of gentle curves juxtaposed with sharp angles and a sleek low profile. Interior luxury is deep leather seats that hug every contour of your body and everything you desire is at the touch of a button. Driving a luxury car is exciting, it’s responsive, it’s intuitive and it moves like silk.
The first time I encountered the Volkswagen Arteon R I was instantly hooked. I drove past it on my way home from work, it was parked on a busy road and to say it caught my eye is an understatement. My head whipped around searching for the badge. What is that car? I thought… then I discovered to my surprise it was a Volkswagen.
Confused and intrigued I went home to consult my trusty authority on all the wonders of the world – Google.
I couldn’t believe I didn’t know about this seemingly rare bread of automobile. It was elusive and unattainable, making it all the more desirable. I was transported back to being a shy 16-year-old girl with a high school crush. Sitting in class dreaming about him… but not about the cocky popular heartthrob that all the girls pined for, I was lamenting over the dark mysterious senior.
He’s the one you admire from afar convinced you may never have a chance but one day from nowhere he winks at you… the Arteon is that guy.
Analogies aside all I know is that I couldn’t stop thinking about this car and whether you believe it or not it manifested in my life. A few months later I was behind its wheel pinching myself and feeling incredibly overwhelmed. As I maneuvered through Sydney I could feel the profound effect this car has on people.
I’d often return to my parked car to find admirers skirting its periphery. I’d happily engage in lengthy conversations about the Arteon with complete strangers. Everyone seemed captivated and I can assure you the Arteon’s striking good looks are matched by the exceptional driving experience.
Harnessing sheer power the 2.0L turbocharged engine delivers 206kW of grunt at 5700rpm with peak torque of 350Nm at 1800rpm.
Fusing performance with safety the car is also packed with intelligent systems alerting you to potential collisions. Side Assist uses two stealth radars to scan up to 50m behind the car triggering alerts to any vehicles that may be approaching when changing lanes. The active steering function also provides resistance to the steering wheel if you even attempt to change lanes whilst a car is in your blind spot.
Again utilising radar sensors, Front Assist detects a possible collision with the vehicle in front of the Arteon. It will warn you and prepare the car for braking. If nothing changes, it will apply the brakes for you- thus avoiding or minimising a collision. The system also assists when travelling through an urban environment with pedestrian monitoring. The system alerts, and then automatically breaks if a person suddenly crosses your path without warning. Now that’s a smart car.
If parking isn’t your forte need not worry, the Arteon has your back. Four cameras deliver live information from all around the car into the cockpit. The 360° view of your vehicle’s environment extends the driver’s field of vision, assisting in the most difficult of parking maneuvers. There’s not one scratch on my stunning black rims attributing full credit to this very technology.
So there you have it, Volkswagen has delivered on all fronts. I’m certainly in love so next time you happen to see one on the road throw a wink the Arteons way… he’s more approachable than you think.
