2022 Volkswagen Arteon 140TSI Elegance Review

The Volkswagen Arteon has always been a stylish and interesting car that strays from the norm of boxy SUVs and big dual-cab utes. Replacing the Passat sedan for the 2022 model year, the Arteon liftback has some big shoes to fill but can this stylish liftback fill the shoes of the established Passat? We tested the entry level 2022 Volkswagen Arteon 140TSI Elegance liftback to find out.

Facelifted for the 2022 model year, the new Arteon takes on a new look with revised headlights, tail lights, bumpers and a slightly updated interior. There is also the addition of the model we have here as the previous Arteon was in 206TSI flavor only.

Price & Equipment: 8.0/10

The 2022 Volkswagen Arteon 140TSI Liftback starts at $63,640 plus on-road costs (around $70,000 rive away) and there is also a Shooting Brake (wagon) version of the Arteon 140TSI for $65,640 +ORC. It is also worth noting that Arteon liftback pricing starts at nearly $10,000 more than the outgoing Passat 162TSI sedan.

What do you get for your money? Well there are 19-inch alloy wheels with a full-size spare, a 9.2-inch touchscreen with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, satellite navigation, DAB+ digital radio, a 10.25-inch digital driver’s display, a 10-speaker Harman Kardon audio system, drive mode selection, tri-zone climate control, Nappa leather upholstery, heated and cooled electric front seats with driver’s massage and memory functionality, heated rear seats, an auto-dimming rear mirror, auto all-LED lighting and auto wipers, heated and auto-folding exterior mirrors, keyless entry with push button start, a power tailgate and configurable LED ambient lighting.

Safety kit in the Arteon 140TSI includes nine airbags, automatic emergency braking (AEB) with pedestrian and cyclist detection, driver fatigue monitoring, automatic rear braking, blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert, lane departure warning with lane keep assist, lane trace assist, adaptive cruise control with stop and go functionality, emergency assist, a heads-up display, automatic post-collision braking, Matrix adaptive high beam functionality, a 360-degree parking camera, front and rear parking sensors, automatic parking and tyre pressure monitoring.

Interestingly enough, the model up from the 140TSI (the Arteon 206TSI R-Line) doesn’t gain all that much equipment. Over the 140TSI, it gets more power and torque, larger 20-inch wheels, an alarm system with interior monitoring, all-wheel drive, an R-Line body kit, black headlining and sports front seats. It misses out on ventilated seats due to having a different style of seat. All of this is tempting for only an additional $7,600 outlay.

Most of the colours available on the Arteon come at no additional cost. They are ‘Kings Red Premium Metallic’, ‘Manganese Grey Metallic’, ‘Kingfisher Blue’, ‘Deep Black Pearl Effect’ and our test car’s ‘Pyrite Silver Metallic’. ‘Oryx White Pearlescent’ is also available for an additional $900 and a glass sunroof is also available for a further $2,100. A cream interior is also available as a no cost option.

The main rivals for the 2022 Volkswagen Passat 140TSI Liftback are the Kia Stinger GT-Line and the Skoda Superb 162TSI Liftback. The Kia will set buyers back $58,930 plus on road costs ($4,560 less than the VW) and the Skoda costs $56,990 drive away ($6,650 less than the VW before on roads are taken into consideration). It is worth noting that the Volkswagen has a lot more equipment than both of these cars, but it can be optioned in to the Skoda.

Engine & Performance: 8/10

The engine offered in the 2022 Volkswagen Arteon 140TSI is the brand’s familiar 2.0-litre ‘EA888’ four-cylinder turbocharged petrol unit that powers the front wheels and produces 140kW of power(at 6,000rpm) and 320Nm of torque (between 1,500rpm and 4,100rpm). This engine is used in a plethora of other Volkswagen Group products though it’s hardly exciting in this application – the Superb makes 22kW more power and the Stinger 42kW more, for example.

Despite the lack of power compared to those two rivals, it is a rather peppy engine and makes the Arteon feel rather nimble with its 7.9 second claimed 0-100km/h sprint time. Behind the wheel, it is not lacking in power and is pretty quiet when accelerating. Though, if you do want a little more go out of your Arteon there is the 206kW/400Nm 206TSI R-Line Arteon that’s also paired with all-wheel drive. The Arteon 206TSI is a genuinely quick car and is more lux sports than the full luxury vibe that the 140TSI goes for.

The sole transmission available in the Arteon 140TSI is a seven-speed DSG dual-clutch automatic which is also seen in other Volkswagen applications. At speed the transmission shifts quickly and is very intuitive but at lower speeds there is some lag when setting off from a standstill, which is typical of dual-clutch transmissions.

The claimed average fuel consumption for the Arteon 140TSI is 6.2L/100km, which is rather good for a large sedan. Our week spent in the Arteon with mostly urban driving – but some freeway driving too – saw an average figure of 8.3L/100km which we were impressed with. Almost uniquely in Australia, the Arteon range features a petrol particulate filter and must be filled with minimum 95RON premium unleaded.

Ride & Handling: 8.5/10

Despite the large 19-inch wheels, the ride on the 2022 Volkswagen Arteon 140TSI is sublime. The adaptive dampers in the Arteon work wonders. The suspension is very forgiving and supple and driving the Arteon as a daily driver is an enjoyable experience. Pot holes and Sydney’s rough roads do not phase the Arteon. On the other end of the spectrum putting the Arteon into sport mode will stiffen up the dampers and make it a more engaging driving experience.

While the Arteon 140TSI does not handle as well as the 206TSI (due to the lack of bigger wheels and all-wheel drive) it does do rather well for a luxury-focused vehicle. In Sport mode the Arteon will corner rather flat (with slight body roll) and will be sure to put a smile onto your face. The steering is also well-weighted, though it’s hardly the last word in feel. The Kia Stinger GT-Line does have better dynamic ability, but it also does feel heavier and more cumbersome.

Interior & Practicality: 9/10

The interior of the 2022 Volkswagen Arteon 140TSI Elegance is modern and (pun intended) quite elegant. The design is rather traditional, but with some added luxury touches such as the textured aluminium dashboard line that runs over the top portion of the dash. It is a nice place to spend time, with good quality materials and an ergonomic layout. In saying this, it hasn’t changed too much from the pre-facelift car – or the Passat that’s available for a lot less coin.

There is a soft touch dash, soft touch portions on the doors, very comfortable seats (though the seats in the 206TSI R Line are nicer) and there are also flock-lined door bins that stop rattles from putting your keys in them. The rear door panels are be a little on the harder side, as is the front centre console, but those are the only negatives we have with the quality of the Arteon interior.

There is good storage throughout the Arteon’s interior. There is a small cubby by the driver’s right-hand knee for keys or coins, large door bins, a space for your wallet behind the electronic hand brake, a space for your phone in front of the gear selector, a large glove box, generously proportioned centre console, rear map pockets and the cup holders have a cover on them so when not in use they can be used as storage.

The 9.2-inch ‘Discover Pro’ touchscreen in the Arteon is good, although the lack of a physical volume knob is frustrating and the gesture controls rarely worked for us. The infotainment system itself is fantastic though, with menus that are easy to navigate and the screen quality is very sharp. The navigation system is good, although no live traffic updates is annoying. Like most people, we would just connect our phone via the wireless Apple CarPlay or Android Auto and use the maps on our phone. The digital driver’s display is very configurable and easy to set to what you like.

The rear seats in the Arteon are comfortable and offer a good amount of support and room. There are map pockets, a single USB charging port, rear climate control with air vents and a centre armrest with cupholders. The room on offer is excellent too, with massive legroom and knee-room, while headroom is also quite good considering the sloping roofline.

Opening the power tailgate on the 2022 Volkswagen Arteon reveals a cavernous 563-litre boot. There are also hooks to hang shopping up with and a little nook to store smaller items. Folding down the rear seats opens this space up to 1,557L, which is excellent for a liftback/non-SUV. In comparison, the Skoda Superb liftback’s boot is even bigger at 625L/1,760L and the Kia Stinger GT-Line’s boot is a lot smaller at 406L/1,114L.

Service & Warranty: 7/10

The 2022 Volkswagen Arteon comes with the brand’s five-year/unlimited kilometre warranty, which is the same warranty that is offered on the Skoda Superb, though the Kia Stinger has a longer seven-year/unlimited kilometre warranty. The Volkswagen comes with 12 months worth of roadside assistance, whereas the Stinger can come with up to eight years of roadside assistance if serviced through Kia.

Servicing the Arteon occurs every 12 months or 15,000km, which is better than the 12-month/10,000km intervals of the Kia Stinger. The price to service the Arteon 140TSI over the span of five years or 75,000km is a massive $3,238 (an average service cost of $647.60), which is quite steep considering the Skoda Superb 162TSI will cost owners $2,878 over the same period and the Kia Stinger GT-Line costs $2,347 over five years/50,000km. Buyers can choose a service pack for the same duration at time of purchase for $2,500 ($500 per service), but that’s still not what we’d call affordable.

2022 Volkswagen Arteon 140TSI Elegance DiscoverAuto Rating: 8.1/10

While sedans and liftbacks aren’t the rage anymore we do think they still have a place in the current market as they offer style, comfort and relative practicality. Yes, they are a little pricey when compared to some SUVs and they can be a little impractical for some people thanks to their low ride height, we love them. The 2022 Volkswagen Arteon 140TSI Elegance is a handsome and luxurious car that drives as well as its handsome styling suggests – and it’s far more characterful than the Passat sedan ever was.

So would we buy a Volkswagen Arteon 140TSI? In our opinion, the jump to the Arteon 206TSI R Line is rather small when considering the purchase prices of the cars and offers more performance, more dynamic ability and a slightly longer equipment list so that makes it hard to ignore. But if your priorities are for a sleek, practical, well featured, comfortable and luxurious car, the Arteon is a great choice regardless of its engine.