VW Arteon Is Going Away, but VW Has More Sedans and an EV Coming!

As the old saying goes, “All good things must come to an end.” And for the Volkswagen Arteon, the end will be the 2023 model year.

This family-sized hatchback/sedan is the classic “failure to launch” story. Since it made its U.S. debut in 2019, it has never sold well – fewer than 15,000 units, according to automotive press accounts. It is a victim of American’s taste for crossovers and SUVs. Contrast Arteon’s sales with the number of VW’s top-selling Tiguans sold in the same timeframe: 109,744. 

Edmunds.com lamented the Arteon’s demise this way:

“This handsome sedan deserved a better fate … A moment of silence for the Arteon, please. It was a little too late for the market and seemed doomed from the start.”

Not surprisingly, VW wants to concentrate on producing more of its better-selling models, plus more electric vehicles, including the four-door ID.7 EV the manufacturer expects to launch in 2025. 

But the Arteon is special in its own way, “sleek, underappreciated and aspirational,” according to Edmunds.com, it is:

• Powerful, with a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine that produces 300 hp and 295 lb-ft of torque. Goes zero-60 mph in just 4.6 seconds.
• Efficient, getting 22 mpg city, 30 mpg highway for a combined 25 mpg.
• Roomy, seating five comfortably, with 27.2 cubic feet of cargo-carrying capacity
• Safe, earning a Top SafetyPick designation from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. And loaded with lots of driver assistance technology, including adaptive cruise control, front/rear parking sensors, lane-departure warning, lane-keeping assist, and more.
• Connected with an 8.0 touchscreen infotainment system, two USB ports, wireless Apple CarPlay, and Android Auto. Higher trims have navigation and premium audio.

The Arteon is a magnificent choice for a mid-size family car. As CarBuzz said, you may want to “get one while you can.” 

If your jam is a sedan, though, VW has you covered. Next year will see the aforementioned 2025 ID.7, which VW says will be “…an electric sedan that will give drivers in the mid-sized sedan segment a solid choice from Volkswagen packed with premium technology and comfort. And it will still offer the Jetta and Jetta GLI and compact Golf R and GTI.