Pampering all round.
I’ve talked a bit about how good the Arteon R is, as a performance car – find yourself alone on the right road in the right mood and it’s a brilliant chassis to start throwing hard at corners, despite its size.
The other side of the Arteon’s character is perhaps more predictable: this big estate car, not surprisingly, also makes a great family wagon. A big factor is that size. At just over 4.86 metres long, the Arteon Shooting Brake is halfway between Merc C- and E-Class estates; and the wheelbase of 2838mm creates a really roomy interior.
The rear legroom is amazing – with the front seat set for an adult, another adult can sit in the back like they’re flying BA Business Class, with 30cm of leg/knee room. This makes for a very agreeable way to travel for my nine-year-old daughter who, on a long journey, chills out back there like royalty in the back of a stretched Bentley.
Up front the Arteon is just as relaxing, with seats that have proved very comfortable over four- or five-hour journeys, and there are plenty of cubbyholes and cupholders for all the junk you create on a longer drive.
The wireless phone-charging tray is the only disappointment – instead of being horizontal it slopes forward slightly, and when I put my iPhone 13 Mini in it slides down on the rubber liner, falling off the wireless-charging sweet spot.
First-world problem, I know, but you’d think VW would have
