Arteon made to replace the CC
Volkswagen has spent a few weeks in South Africa testing the new Tiguan, Up! and the upcoming Arteon, an all-new model for 2018. The German automaker found in the African country the perfect types of roads to test its new cars under extreme conditions. The models drove on paved roads, as well as dirt roads on a complete endurance evaluation. Under a striking 0ver a 100 degree weather, the engines worked on its limits, with the AC on.
Newest Volkswagen hot hatch
To begin with, let’s talk about the about-to-become the newest VW’s hot hatch: the Up! GTI. The smallest member of VW’s family will debut its GTI version in 2017. The Up! is among us since 2011, with a 3-cylinder 1.0 liter with usually 45 hp – 75 hp. In UK the up! has 5 plus version, with different engines configurations.
The GTI version of Up! brings a more powerful 1.0-liter TSI engine, with 113 horsepower, and promises to sprint to 60 mph in less than 9 seconds. The sporty chassi, a redeveloped suspension, bigger breaks and a manual gearbox completes the package. Equally important, the new interior has Volkswagen’s typical sporty looks, especially the checkered front seats used in the Polo GTI and Golf GTI. Last but not least, the Up! GTI’s two main rivals could be the Renault Twingo GT and Fiat Abarth 595. The price is likely to start around £15,000.
A third seat row for Tiguan
The new Tiguan Allspace is going to offer more seats and more storage capacity. The extended wheelbase made possible a third seat row for the new Tiguan. For the that reason, the SUV shares the same platform with the GOLF, the MQB. Overall, to receive a third-row and more storage space, Volkswagen added 4 extra inches, and 8 more inches in general length. The new Tiguan Allspace powertrain wasn’t revealed yet, but we expect to find out at the Detroit Auto Show in January 2017.
A new star on the rise
Despite all the drama with VW’s diesel engines, and the world crazy pursuit of happiness in SUV’s and its new luxury versions, Volkswagen thought it was the right time to release an all-new model. After all the market analises, ideas and insights, they’ve made the decision too replace the CC coupé. The upcoming Arteon comes from the VW coupe concept GTE, which appeared at the 2015 Geneva Motor Show. The newest model of the family adopted the highly versatile MQB platform that can stretch up to 4 plus inches. That easily makes the Arteon 2 inches bigger than the old CC, guaranteed. These dimensions puts the Arteon between the A5 and A7.
At the present time, even with the covers on we can see that VW’s newest model looks just like a typical model. Although that may be true, the hatched back sedan is marking a new design direction for Volkswagen future models. Even with the edgy and fast lines you can see on its body, inside, the space remains slightly large and comfortable for an over 6 feet tall adult.
The Arteon is going to have both gas and diesel 4-cylinder engines, that being 3 with gas and 4 with diesel. For Europe, there will be a 190 hp petrol engine, while US gets a 289 horsepower 2.0-liter. The DSG Automatic as well as a manual transmission will be offered globally. In particular, the DSG gearbox will have 8 speed. The version tested in South Africa was a front wheel drive, but an all wheel drive will be an option. In conclusion, you can expect the price to start at around £28,000. By the way Volkswagen is going to reveal the Arteon’s full appearance at the 2017 Geneva Motor Show.
Photos via: Autocar
