Long, lean, and lithe, the 2019 Arteon earns high marks on style and safety—though not the highest on either. While Car and Driver calls the new Arteon “gorgeous,” Motor Trend says it’s “more pleasing” than sedans produced by Toyota or Nissan, but does not have the performance and styling of the high-end makers that the $36,840 to $47,705 price tag will have to compete with.
The Arteon, which is replacing Volkswagen’s struggling CC, just missed being named a Top Safety Pick. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) is an independent, nonprofit organization dedicated to reducing deaths, injuries, and property damage from motor vehicle crashes. IIHS gave the Arteon a “good” rating on frontal crash, side crash, roof strength, head restraints, front crash prevention, and latch evaluation. That is excellent news for the manufacturer and anyone riding in the vehicle!
The Drawbacks
Unfortunately, all three of the Arteon’s headlight configurations received poor ratings. These LED projector headlights offered on the SE, SEL, and SEL Premium trim were rated as poor for different reasons. On the SE trim, the lights didn’t project far enough forward or well enough on the right. On the SEL and SEL Premium, the low beams were penalized for excessive glare.
Maybe that sounds unfair since the car is structurally safe, but cars must earn good ratings in all areas to be a Top Safety Pick. There is a good reason for this. IIHS reports that nearly half of all fatal crashes occur in the dark—so, Volkswagen needs to work a little hard to be considered safe and stylish! We can’t do much about the stylishness of your Volkswagen Arteon or other European automobiles, but we can make sure it is as safe and efficient as possible. EuroCar Service has been your dependable, accurate and honest state-of-the-art service facility in Seattle since 1981. We are committed to high-quality workmanship for your Mercedes, Volvo, Audi, BMW, Land Rover, MINI, SAAB, Smart car, or Fiat. Our high level of customer service is only exceeded by the training and experience of our ASE Certified master mechanics. We provide free shuttle service and loaner cars for our Seattle customers and are conveniently open Monday through Friday, 7:30 to 5:30. Join the EuroCar Service family by scheduling an appointment online or calling 206-527-8828 today!
