Art Is Power! 2022 Volkswagen Arteon Gets 300-HP Engine
The sleek sedan also goes full R-Line across the line.
With the midsize Passat sedan's impending death, the only larger-than-Jetta Volkswagen car left is the seductive Arteon. For 2022, the sexy Arteon hatchback brims over with even greater appeal, thanks to a power increase from 268 hp to a solid 300 ponies by way of a new turbocharged 2.0-liter I-4. VW also replaces the Arteon's eight-speed automatic transmission with a new (assuredly quicker-shifting) seven-speed dual-clutch auto.
To go along with the increased verve, every Arteon trim level adopts last year's available R-Line styling inside and out as standard. That means every trim now has "R-Line" in its name: SE R-Line, SEL R-Line, and SEL Premium R-Line.
The entry-level SE R-Line starts at $41,190, quite a leap from the 2021 model's $38,190 price tag, though it includes fresh 18-inch wheels and now standard front and rear parking sensors and wireless phone charging (and the aforementioned power and aesthetic enhancements).
Jump to the SEL R-Line (this trim was R-Line'd last year already), and you'll get standard 4Motion all-wheel drive (the SE is front-wheel-drive, and last year you needed to buy the SEL Premium R-Line for 4Motion) and available 20-inch dark-finish wheels. The price also jumps, to $45,810. Details on the 2022 Arteon SEL Premium R-Line are forthcoming.
Volkswagen's near-constant meddling with the Arteon is interesting—the automaker just refreshed the coupe-like four-door last year, just one year after putting it on sale for 2020—especially given the premium price point and, well, its overwhelming focus on SUVs. Cars are something of a dying breed over at VW, with the regular Golf hatchback and wagon getting the axe and the Passat about to. Thankfully, the sporty Golf GTI and Golf R survive, for now.
Hopefully, this means VW is serious about keeping the distinctly Euro-tastic Arteon around. We're looking forward to driving the newly 300-hp version, which should improve on the current model's already sparkling performance.
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A lifelong car enthusiast, I stumbled into this line of work essentially by accident after discovering a job posting for an intern position at Car and Driver while at college. My start may have been a compelling alternative to working in a University of Michigan dining hall, but a decade and a half later, here I am reviewing cars; judging our Car, Truck, and Performance Vehicle of the Year contests; and shaping MotorTrend’s daily coverage of the automotive industry.
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