Test drive Volkswagen Arteon Shooting Brake R-Line

When Volkswagen designers dream, the “people’s car” becomes an object of worship. Even more impressive is that, in this case, the functionality equals the beauty. The new Arteon Shooting Brake is reviving a bygone era. Photo: Bogdan Paraschiv

Volkswagen joins the select club of manufacturers of shooting brake models, along with premium brands Mercedes-Benz and Porsche. Okay, the idea is not new, but it has its roots in history, over 130 years ago. At the time, a shooting brake was a horse-drawn carriage carrying protipendada, including weapons and cops, to hunting parties. Over time, carriages were replaced by stylish station wagons, used mainly by British lords for the same purpose.

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By its very nature, therefore, a shooting brake must be spacious and elegant. The two features that define the new Arteon version are fixed. Appeared with the mid-life facelift of the German model, the Shooting Brake version joins the Fastback, which was already on the market for 3 years. The passport to the life of a small aristocrat starts from 37,611 euros, but today I ride in the most expensive “carriage”, R-Line 2.0 TDI 200 HP 4Motion, of 48,645 euros.

As standard, it runs gracefully on 18-inch wheels and scans the road with full-LED headlights and dynamic signaling. Optionally, you can put 19-inch wheels (586 euros), like mine, or 20-inch (989 euros), but also LED Matrix lights, 1308 euros.

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Inside, it looks like a top Passat, with 12.3-inch digital instrumentation and ergoComfort seats, upholstered with microfiber, standard. For another 2017 euros, you get Discover Pro ships with a 9.2-inch screen and excellent resolution. They all look good, are spectacular and rigorously assembled German. But they are not as German to use, because many buttons have been replaced with touch surfaces, which are stylized and have lost a little utility in favor of design, and the menu of the multimedia system is a bit complicated. Touchpads with haptic feedback on the steering wheel also appeared, but they didn’t make me very happy either… In short, I don’t support digitization, which, although it looks futuristic and appeals to all passengers, complicates the driver’s life.

Then there’s the interior. Huge! You have nothing to complain about, no matter how tall you are. The trunk measures 565 l and, practically, you can’t reach its end unless you climb on it with your knees. It’s true that the differences in interior space compared to the Fastback version are small, and the trunk of the Shooting Brake has only 2 liters more. Of course, the question arises whether it is worth paying 930 euros in addition to Fastback. It is worth it in three situations: if you load bulky objects and you need the big tailgate opening, if you know how to shoot with a rifle and you need the extra 75 l to fold the seat, to transport the game, or if you simply likes more how it looks.

On the road

What I can confirm is that it doesn’t feel like a break in motion. Rather, like a coupe. It’s dynamic and incisive when cornering, and the suspension is balanced, but with 19-inch wheels, don’t expect it to “swallow” talented tram lines. On the highway, it is unrealistically silent, especially since my copy had the Acoustic package (555 euros), with laminated side windows. It is difficult to push it to the limit on corners, firstly because the limit is high, and secondly, because the direction could better communicate your level of grip. It’s analytical, German, calculated, without hot blood.

The engine is powerful, pulls vigorously below 2000 rpm and does not induce vibrations inside. It just nibbles like a TDI at low speeds. Through Bucharest, it did not jump 8 l / 100 km, not even at low temperatures. On a long road, 6 liters of diesel are enough for 100 km. The DSG gearbox behaved flawlessly, with smooth changes and quick reactions when accelerating.

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