Volkswagen Arteon R-Line 2.0 TSI 4Motion facelift open for booking

A few days after releasing a teaser of the facelifted Volkswagen Arteon, Volkswagen Passenger Cars Malaysia (VPCM) has announced that bookings have been opened for the refreshed five-door coupé. As previously reported, the car will be available in a new R-Line 2.0 TSI 4Motion variant, offering more power and all-paw traction over the previous front-wheel-drive model.

Mind you, it won’t come cheap, with pricing estimated to hover between RM245,000 and RM255,000; for comparison’s sake, the outgoing model retailed at RM221,065 on-the-road without insurance. Given that the 4Motion model is locally assembled in Pekan, its price will include a full exemption of the sales and service tax (SST) until the end of the year.

Ahead of its official launch, VPCM also confirmed the specs of the car, which will be powered by an uprated EA888 2.0 litre TSI turbocharged four-cylinder engine. Outputs are rated at 280 PS from 5,100 to 6,500 rpm and 350 Nm of torque between 1,700 and 5,600 rpm, which is 50 Nm down on European models.

Still, it’s a damn sight higher than the previous car’s 190 PS and 320 Nm, and when combined with the seven-speed DSG wet dual-clutch transmission and all-wheel drive, its plenty enough for the car to get from zero to 100 km/h in just 5.6 seconds.

Standard equipment remains largely identical and includes full LED headlights, LED taillights with sequential indicators and the same 19-inch Montevideo two-tone alloy wheels as before. Inside, the Arteon continues to be trimmed in Nappa carbon-print leather upholstery and comes with a rebranded 12-speaker, 700-watt Harman Kardon sound system.

Also fitted are keyless entry, push-button start, power-adjustable front seats with driver’s side memory, triple-zone auto climate control, auto lights and wipers, an auto-dimming rear-view mirror, a 9.2-inch Discover Pro infotainment touchscreen with gesture control, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity, Dynamic Chassis Control (DCC) adaptive dampers, a 360-degree camera and a hands-free powered tailgate.

Safety-wise, the Arteon gains lane keeping assist, blind spot monitoring and rear cross traffic alert, joining the usual six airbags, ABS with EBD and brake assist, stability control, post-collision braking and ISOFIX rear child seat anchors. However, even with the new front-facing camera for lane keeping, the car still won’t be offered with autonomous emergency braking, which is a shame especially in 2021.

Visually, the Arteon has been updated with a redesigned grille that incorporates an LED light bar linking the daytime running lights, along with new taillights graphics with “dashes” and an inverted L-shaped design. The R-Line model gets a more aggressive front bumper design with body-coloured air intake blades and a black rear diffuser with fake quad tailpipes.

A comprehensive remodelling of the interior sees the addition of new angular air vents and a silver strip that runs around the front half of the cabin, plus the ditching of the analogue centre clock. There are also new touch-sensitive switches for the climate controls and the redesigned steering wheel, as well as an expanded 30-colour palette for the ambient lighting system. The ErgoComfort seats, meanwhile, feature a more aggressive design with integrated headrests and an embroidered R logo.

The Arteon also sports the new Volkswagen and R badges, making it the first model in Malaysia to do so. Colours include the new Lapiz Blue and the existing Oryx White, Deep Black, Pyrite Silver and Manganese Grey; the previous hero colour Turmeric Yellow has been removed.