‘Sleek and Silky’ are not two words that you would normally associate with the humble wagon, but then again, the Volkswagen Arteon Shooting Brake is not your average wagon. The long and elegant exterior lines make way for an equally spacious and elegant interior with many options you would expect to find on a luxury high-end vehicle rather than a practical family vehicle.
This particular Arteon Shooting Brake is the 206TSI R-Line in Lapiz Blue metallic paint and comes with 20″Alloy wheels (Nashville), R-Line exterior and interior styling and distinctive R-Line Carbon Nappa leather appointed seat upholstery. This Shooting Brake has the performance to go with its good looks with a 0-100km/h time of 5.6 seconds!
The Shooting Brake 206TSI R-Line is powered by a 2.0 litre, 4-cylinder inline turbo petrol engine with 206 kW and 400Nm paired with a 7 speed Direct Shift Gearbox (DSG) transmission and 4MOTION All-Wheel drive. Volkswagen recommends the use of 98 RON petrol, with the official combined fuel consumption figure being 7.7L/100km and for my week I used 12.0L/100km.
There are five drive modes available to select from being Eco, Comfort, Normal, Sport and Individual with Adaptive Chassis Control. I found the Shooting Brake had a supple ride and dealt with the current Sydney pot hole situation very well.
The cabin is quiet and the driver is well catered for thanks to the high resolution 10.25″ digital instrument colour display screen and a stylish steering wheel. The driver also gets Head-up Display that shows current speed, sat nav directions and Travel Assist functions. There was only one cabin feature I noted that I didn’t like and that was the plastic wheel mounted shifters for ‘manually’ changing gears.
There are high quality finishes used throughout the interior and I particularly liked the touch controls on the climate settings. The 9.2” colour touch screen display features gesture control, which I struggled to master. The voice control on the other hand is activated by pressing the button on the steering wheel with the feminine looking silhouette on it and for me this function worked well for setting a destination on the sat nav and changing the radio station, but my phone contact didn’t download so I was not able to make calls. There is also no button on the steering wheel for making or accepting phone calls, so you need to accept a call by pressing the button on the infotainment screen.
I thought the ambient lighting was classy, with 30 colours to choose from you’re sure to find the shade to suit you. While the Harman/kardon premium sound system with 700 W total power output, subwoofer and a digital 16-channel amplifier was great for enjoying the FM/DAB radio or Bluetooth audio. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto can be connected by simply plugging in your compatible smartphone or connecting wirelessly to see your apps appear on the infotainment touchscreen. For keeping your smartphone charged there are two USB-C ports under the arm rest and one 12V outlet on the centre console.
Both sporty front seats have 14-way adjustment including seat depth adjustment and seat heating, with the driver getting electric 4-way lumbar support, two seat memory positions and a basic massage setting for making long drives all that more relaxing.
The Arteon Shooting Brake cabin not only looked the part, but also had plenty of practical features as well. Need to keep your chocolate cool of a long drive? No problem, just put it in the cooled glove box! Spill something in one of the centre console storage compartments? No problem, just remove the rubber mat at the bottom and clean it out! Don’t like rattling items in your door cubby? No problem these are felt lines and can fit a large drink bottle as well.
Even the rear seat design is nice and there is plenty of head and leg room for two adults to comfortably sit in the back. For younger passengers there are two ISOFIX/three rear tether child seat restraint points, but only enough room to easily fit two car seats due to the width of the rear seat. The centre seat can be folded down as an arm rest and has three different sized rigid cup holders in it. The door cubbies also have good-sized drink bottle storage areas, which are felt lined as well.
Rear passengers get separate digital temperature controls with two central air vents that have manual speed and direction control. Both outer rear seats are heated as well, something my children always appreciate during winter. There is one USB-C and one 12V outlet under a cover below the temp controls and floor mats, but no mat over the transmission tunnel.
The boot release is nifty on the Arteon Shooting Brake, you press the VW logo and the power operated boot opens. You can also open/close from the button in the front of the cabin and close using the key fob. The Shooting Brake’s boot could almost be considered too big, as I really had to reach in order to get items from the back of it. There are four metal tie down points, two hooks, two lights and a two-stage cargo cover and under the boot floor there is a full-size spare tyre and cargo net. If you need even more storage space the rear seats have a 40/60 split fold mechanism or you can use the central peek-a-boo door (my children’s name for this feature) to store long items and still use the two outer rear seats.
All models in the current Volkswagen Arteon range have a 5-star (2017) ANCAP safety rating with an Adult Occupant Protection score of 96% (36.76 out of 38) and a Child Occupant Protection score of 85% (42.05 out of 49). Passengers are protected by driver and front passenger airbags, driver’s knee airbag, driver and front passenger side airbags, outer rear seat passenger side airbags, and curtain airbags, front and rear.
ANCAP tests of the standard-fit autonomous emergency braking system is capable of operating at highway speeds and performed well in testing and the overall ANCAP Safety Assist score is 82% (9.90 points out of 12). Volkswagen’s IQ.DRIVE comes as standard across the Arteon range and includes Front Assist with pedestrian monitoring and Manoeuvre braking, front and rear, which I discovered works well when my dog walked behind the vehicle as I was reversing. IQ.DRIVE also has Rear Traffic Assist, Side Assist, lane changing assistant, Travel Assist, combining Adaptive Cruise Control with Adaptive Lane Guidance for semi-autonomous driving at low and high speeds.
For convenience the Shooting Brake has auto lights, including auto high beam, auto wipers and a 360o view reversing camera with front and rear sensors combined with a multi-angle view rear view camera with dynamic guidance lines.
All new Volkswagen vehicles come with a 5 Year Unlimited kilometre warranty and a 1-year membership to Volkswagen Roadside Assist. If you service your Volkswagen at an authorised Volkswagen Dealer, you can receive an additional 12 months Roadside Assistance. An upfront 5-Year Care Plan for the Arteon Shooting Brake 206TSI that covers standard service costs can be purchased for non-commercial use vehicles for $2,700, saving $871 off the Assured Service Pricing RRP (offer only available until 30 June 2022).
The Arteon Shooting Brake is the good-looking, practical family vehicle for those who are after something other than an SUV to fill that role. As tested with no options fitted the Volkswagen Arteon Shooting Brake, I drove cost $70,740 excluding on-road costs. Like most vehicle manufacturers, Volkswagen are experiencing delays with new vehicle deliveries, so it’s best to check their website for existing stock or contact your preferred Volkswagen dealer for more information.
| Pros | Cons |
| It’s a stylish looking wagon | No AM radio media source |
| Ride comfort | Plastic wheel-mounted gear selectors |
| So many elegant interior features | Volkswagen recommends the use of 98 RON petrol |
Photographs by Driven Women Magazine.