- volkswagen announced that it will build 250 arteons in a special r-line edition.
- the cars are finished in moonstone grey with a black roof and are powered by four engine options, with the most powerful being a 268-hp 2.0 tsi paired with all-wheel drive and vw's latest and greatest adaptive chassis control.
- orders can be placed now, but only for buyers in europe, starting at the equivalent of $62,000. deliveries are expected to begin next month.
the volkswagen arteon, the replacement of the passat-based cc, is a handsome car that's on the precipice of luxury territory at a non-luxury price. in the u.s. that is. we say this because the folks over in wolfsburg are now making 250 dressed-up arteons, calling it the r-line edition, and jacking up the price for buyers in europe. this outrageous price made us realize something: the arteon is much more expensive in europe than it is in the states.
on our shores, arteons come equipped with vw's turbocharged 2.0-liter inline-four that makes 268 horsepower, and it's paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission. that's the only engine option we get. but for the new europe-only arteon r-line edition four engine options are available: the top-of-the-line 268-hp 2.0 tsi engine, paired with all-wheel drive; a diesel engine, producing 236 horsepower, paired with all-wheel drive; and gas-powered and turbo-diesel 2.0-liter four-cylinders, both making 188 horsepower.
however, when we converted the european prices for the cars with the gas-powered engine that's shared across the atlantic, we were surprised. the highest trim arteon you can get in the u.s. is the sel premium r-line with all-wheel drive, starting at $47,205. the same model in europe, equipped with the same engine and all-wheel drive, starts at the equivalent of just under $60,000. we'll do the math for you: that's an almost $13,000 difference.
an exclusive r-line edition might sound like some badass variant that's ready to tear up asphalt, but it's really not that much more than the standard r-line. it looks cool, though. it starts at the equivalent of $62,000, $15,000 more than the starting price of the highest-trimmed arteon we get. on the outside, a moonstone grey paint job with a black roof is reserved for this limited-edition model, and like other standard r-line–trimmed cars, it's equipped with 20-inch rosario alloy wheels.
these ultra-exclusive cars come equipped with the nappa leather package with multiple ambient lighting modes inside. standard park assist, lane-change assist, and adaptive distance control come standard.
the arteon r-line edition is now available for order in europe, and volkswagen says that they'll arrive starting in february.