Volkswagen Arteon (2018-2020) Buyer’s Guide

The Volkswagen Arteon was available locally for only a short time; was it criminally under-appreciated by South Africans? Let’s take a closer look at this sleekly styled fastback…

Let’s face it: the Volkswagen Arteon was fighting a losing battle from the very moment it hit the market in South Africa. Not only did VW launch this sleekly styled fastback into a segment already in decline, but it came without an Audi, BMW, Mercedes-Benz or other premium badge affixed to its eye-catching snout.

The Arteon 2.0TSI 4Motion R-Line famously won the business-class category of the 2018/19 Cars.co.za Consumer Awards, but the acclaim did little to bolster the model’s fortunes in our new-vehicle market.

Yes, we’re convinced badge snobbery played a significant role in this striking Volkswagen’s sluggish sales performance, ultimately leading to its premature departure from the local market.

To complicate matters, the Arteon also faced competition from within the VW Group, both from the closely related (and more palatably priced) Passat and the premium-badged Audi A5 Sportback.

While its arresting lines gave us a glimmer of hope that the Arteon might buck the trend and survive, this coupe-inspired sedan – which was, for all intents and purposes, the follow-up to the likewise Passat-based CC and thus positioned as VW’s flagship sedan – failed to last even 2 years in South Africa.

Watch Ciro De Siena’s video review of a 2018 Volkswagen Arteon:

In fact, our calculations suggest that fewer than 430 units were registered in Mzansi, which makes the Arteon an incredibly rare sight on our roads today. For the record, the Wolfsburg-based automaker says just short of 190 000 units were built for global markets.

Production of the fastback body style ended at the German firm’s Emden factory in 2023 (long after its local axing), though the so-called “Shooting Brake” version (which was never offered in South Africa) continued to roll off the line at the Osnabrück plant until early 2025. The nameplate was effectively succeeded by the fully electric Volkswagen ID.7, a model not on the cards for Mzansi.

VW Arteon model line-up in South Africa

Previewed by the Sport Coupe Concept GTE of 2015, the production version of the Volkswagen Arteon was officially unveiled at the Geneva International Motor Show in March 2017. South Africa had to wait until May 2018 for VW’s so-called “gran turismo” to make local landfall.

At launch in Mzansi, the Arteon line-up comprised a trio of derivatives, 2 of which were powered by a turbodiesel engine and the 3rd by a turbopetrol motor (with both mills having 4-cylinder configurations and displacing 2.0 litres). The oil-burner employed a 6-speed dual-clutch transmission to drive the front axle, while the petrol unit used a 7-speed dual-clutch gearbox feeding all 4 wheels. 

• Arteon 2.0 TDI Elegance DSG (130 kW/350 Nm)
• Arteon 2.0 TDI R-Line DSG (130 kW/350 Nm)
• Arteon 2.0 TSI R-Line 4Motion DSG (206 kW/350 Nm)

With local sales stuttering, Volkswagen scrapped the TDI derivatives at some point in the 3rd quarter of 2019 (interestingly, soon after confirming the facelifted B8-series Passat would not be coming to South Africa), citing “low customer interest”.

See also: Volkswagen Arteon 2.0 TDI R-Line (2018) Quick Review

That left the flagship 2.0 TSI R-Line to soldier on as the lone Arteon variant until the nameplate was finally discontinued in Mzansi in the opening half of 2020. While the mid-2020 facelift detailed overseas introduced both the estate body style and a new full-fat “R” flagship, neither would make it to Mzansi.

What are the Volkswagen Arteon’s strengths?

Stylish exterior design: Though design is admittedly a largely subjective topic, we’d argue the Arteon was easily one of the most stylish offerings of Volkswagen’s modern era. Endowed with a dramatically sloping roofline and a lengthy bonnet (not to mention that particularly distinctive front end), the exterior design was anything but bland.

Well-equipped and spacious: While alternatives from the Teutonic Trio came with notoriously brief lists of standard kit, the Arteon was downright generously equipped. For instance, items such as adaptive dampers, heated front seats and 3-zone climate control were standard across the range.

The R-Line grade, meanwhile, added VW’s Active Info Display (a slick digital instrument cluster), the 9.2-inch “Discover Pro Navigation” system (as opposed to the 8-inch “Composition Media” set-up in the Elegance), power adjustment (and a massaging function) for the front seats, ambient interior lighting, adaptive cruise control, a panoramic sunroof and that eye-catching R-Line exterior styling kit.

That said, VW did offer a short list of factory-fitted options for the Arteon, including an uprated Dynaudio sound system and a head-up display. But, overall, this fastback was very well specified as standard, particularly in the case of the R-Line derivatives.

At 4 862 mm in length and with a wheelbase of 2 841 mm, the Arteon furthermore offered excellent rear legroom (the German automaker described it as “best in class”) along with a practically shaped luggage compartment affording a cavernous 563 litres of boot space (while housing a full-size spare wheel). 

Accomplished long-distance cruiser: Spacious enough to seat 4 adults in comfort, with more than enough room to accommodate their luggage as well, the Arteon made for a highly accomplished tourer. Both the 2.0 TDI and 2.0 TSI powerplants were tractable motors that did their best work out on the open road, while rolling refinement levels were suitably lofty.

Thanks in part to the multi-link rear suspension arrangement, ride quality was another highlight, though keep in mind that R-Line variants featured sports suspension (that lowered the vehicle by 10 mm) and examples fitted with the optional 20-inch “Rosario” alloy wheels featured a noticeably firmer ride in the sportiest drive modes.

What are the Volkswagen Arteon’s weaknesses?

Relatively dull to drive: Yes, the Arteon was available with Volkswagen’s ubiquitous EA888 engine, tuned to deliver a healthy 206 kW (not far off the Golf 7 R’s 213 kW) and 350 Nm of torque. With power in this derivative sent to all 4 corners, one would be forgiven for assuming it would offer a driving experience similar to that of the (admittedly lighter and more compact) apex Golf.

However, that wasn’t quite the case. Instead, with a firm focus on refinement, the Arteon was certainly brisk and decidedly surefooted but not exactly exciting to drive fast – in short, it seldom encouraged its driver to press on.

With its front-wheel-drive-biased MQB underpinnings and Passat running gear, Volkswagen’s swoopy fastback was nowhere near as dynamically gifted as models like the rear-driven BMW 4 Series Gran Coupe (F36).

That said, it displayed a useful turn of speed in 2.0 TSI form, seeing off the obligatory 0-100 kph sprint in a claimed 5.6 seconds (or a somewhat more leisurely 8.7 seconds in the case of the TDI derivatives) and topping out at 250 kph (or 220 kph for the oil-burners).

Staid cabin design: The interior design came across as relatively unadventurous, particularly when juxtaposed with the eye-catching exterior styling. While the cabin was ergonomically sound and its perceived build quality pleasingly high – the Arteon felt miles better built than the C-Class of the era, for instance – it was all a bit, well, plain.

In fact, plenty of switchgear was borrowed from the Volkswagen Golf 7.5, which was curious for a model positioned as the brand’s most premium sedan. The Wolfsburg-based brand did attempt to jazz things up a little with a smattering of gloss-black plastic, but these areas simply attracted fingerprints and dust. The analogue clock in the centre of the dashboard, however, was a neat touch.

Water-pump housing leak: One of the EA888 engine’s most widely known weaknesses – which we’ve touched on before in other buyer’s guides – was its poor water-pump housing design. The water pump and thermostat (as well as its integrated sensors) were packaged inside a plastic housing, which was prone to early failure.

As with models such as the Golf 7 GTI and R, this might initially have presented as a minor coolant leak, before developing into a more substantial problem – and, if left unchecked, eventually leading to the engine overheating.

No Arteon R for South Africa: Since the Arteon R was unveiled only at the nameplate’s mid-cycle update, this high-performance version of VW’s sleekly styled fastback unfortunately remained forbidden fruit for South Africa.

So, what did we miss out on? Well, the German automaker massaged its familiar turbocharged 2.0-litre petrol engine to generate 235 kW, delivered to all 4 wheels with the added benefit of “R-Performance” torque vectoring. The result was a 0-100 kph sprint in a listed 4.9 seconds and a top speed of 250 kph, though the latter figure could be optionally raised to 270 kph.

How much is a used VW Arteon in SA?

In South Africa, the Arteon shipped standard with a 3-year/120 000 km warranty and a 5-year/100 000 km service plan (with intervals of 15 000 km). VW furthermore offered optional service-plan extensions all the way up to 10 years or 300 000 km, as well as full maintenance plans.

At the time of writing, we found just 8 examples of the Arteon listed on Cars.co.za, illustrating this model’s scarcity in Mzansi. The TSI engine accounted for 5 of those listings, with the TDI motor representing the remaining 3. All were from the 2019 model year, and all but 1 example featured the R-Line trim.

Indicated odometer readings ranged from approximately 84 000 km to 195 000 km, with the latter achieved by a TSI derivative. Unsurprisingly, that high-mileage example was also the cheapest Arteon listing we discovered, priced at R339 950.

Considering this model’s truncated stay on the local market – and indeed the concomitant lack of used stock – it’s no surprise that its pricing bracket is relatively narrow, with the most expensive unit we could find coming in at R499 900.  

Which Volkswagen Arteon variant should I buy?

So, which Volkswagen Arteon was the pick of the bunch? Well, given the satisfying mix of grunt and efficiency offered by the turbodiesel engine, we’d narrowly recommend it over its petrol-engined and 4Motion-equipped sibling. There’s ample oomph, plus the distinct benefit of saving cash at the pumps.

In addition, the TDI was available in both Elegance and R-Line guise, meaning buyers can opt for either the slightly more forgiving ride of the former (on 18-inch alloys with higher-profile tyres) or the decidedly loftier equipment levels of the latter, depending on their preferences.

Is the VW Arteon a worthwhile used purchase?

Based on its fastback styling, the Volkswagen Arteon‘s direct rivals were the F5-series Audi A5 Sportback and BMW 4 Series Gran Coupe (F36). However, it also had to contend with traditional sedans such as the B9-series Audi A4, the G20-series BMW 3 Series and the W205-series Mercedes-Benz C-Class, not to mention its B8-series VW Passat sibling.

Other fringe players in this space included the Jaguar XE and Alfa Romeo Giulia – sedans that sported above-average dynamic abilities but were largely under-appreciated in Mzansi – while the seldom-spotted rear-driven Kia Stinger might also have been considered an interesting Arteon rival (though remains an even more uncommon sight on South African roads).

Locally, VW was likely hoping the country’s legions of Golf GTI and Golf R owners would eventually migrate to the Arteon in search of something a little more sophisticated. However, the Arteon wasn’t around long enough to see that happen. In addition, with buyer preferences by that point already skewed heavily towards crossovers, we’d guess many simply opted for a Tiguan instead.

So, in a way, the highly competent Arteon arrived at just the wrong time. But, as we pointed out at the very beginning of this buyer’s guide, so-called “badge snobbery” unquestionably played a central role in its early local demise, too.

Highly regarded and widely acclaimed, but seemingly lacking appeal to those who actually buy premium vehicles, the Volkswagen Arteon nevertheless represents an exceedingly compelling 2nd-hand alternative to the usual suspects. Now, if only there were more on the used market…

Looking for a used VW Arteon to buy?

Find one on Cars.co.za!

Looking to sell your car? You can sell it to our dealer network here