Volkswagen has revealed that it is considering launching the 2021 Arteon premium fastback in India.
If at all the car arrives to the market, it will be through the CBU route and thus, will likely cost on a par with the BMW 2-Series Gran Coupe.
For the 2021 model year, the German carmaker gave the Arteon slight exterior revisions and a much refreshed interior which makes it look like an Audi than a Volkswagen.
Upfront, the fastback comes with sleek lighting units, the DRLs of which merge well with the chrome grille, even forming a part of it, while the air intakes have been revised and so is the bumper.
At the rear, there are reworked LED tail lamps, chrome trim on the bumper, below with sits the twin exhaust outlets (the real outlets are tucked within) and the diffuser is new too.
Overall, on the outside, the 2021 Volkswagen Arteon has the word premium written all over it. Thankfully, it is the same on the inside too. The cabin has been reworked to make it look much more premium.
There is a digital instrument cluster, an 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system with the latest connectivity suite, a 700 W, 12-speaker Harman Kardon music system, ambient lighting, wireless smartphone charging, and various other features.
In markets overseas, Volkswagen also offers the Arteon in a splendid ‘Shooting Brake’ body style. Although it will set it apart among a sea of SUVs and offer the same practicality of an SUV, the fact is that Indians love SUVs and crossovers and thus, it might not do well.
Still, considering that the carmaker might only bring the Arteon via the CBU route, it would be interesting to get the shooting brake instead of the fastback.
Powering the car would be a 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol motor good for 268 BHP and 350 Nm which is mated to an 8-speed auto. While the car is offered with all-wheel-drive overseas, Indians might only get the front-wheel drive variant.
A plug-in hybrid version (called eHybrid) of the Arteon is also on sale abroad. The model has a 1.4-litre petrol engine paired with a hybrid system that has a 13 kWh battery which powers a 113 BHP electric motor. In all, the model puts out 215 BHP and has an electric-only range of around 63 km.
But this model too is not expected to make it to India. We expect Volkswagen to bring the R-Line fastback variant of the Arteon with the sporty body kit. Also, the firm is expected to bring back the Tiguan later this year.
Source – CarWale.com