Driven: Volkswagen Arteon Shooting Brake

I’m by no means a stickler for the rules, but Volkswagen is taking liberties with the Arteon Shooting Brake. The term ‘Shooting Brake’ conjures images of the Aston Martin Boniolo V12 Vanquish EG and the Ferrari FF – iconic models with one clear feature in common: they both had two doors.

The Arteon Shooting Brake, though, has four doors. Yes, you heard right – Volkswagen has decided to call this particular model a Shooting Brake, despite the fact that the term traditionally denotes two-door models with long, stretched bodies and dramatic silhouettes. Who needs rules anyway.

Hey good lookin’

But the problem is the Arteon Shooting Brake looks more like, well, an estate. Which is what it is. And a good looking estate at that. Measuring 4,866mm in length, the Arteon Shooting Brake is only a touch longer than its saloon sibling, but the meatier rear and sloping roof gives the impression it is more stretched, just like a Shooting Brake…

At the front, a large bonnet is punctured by several grooves that sweep down from the A-pillars to finish above the lights. A large grille is kept simple, with straight horizontal panels that emphasise its width. There is only a very narrow border separating it from the triangular body work that stems out from the wheel arches, giving a blending effect that ties the grille in with the rest of the body. Dual headlamps and two thin LED strips are embedded inside the grille area, with the lower LED line extending to meet the VW logo at the centre of the car.

The grooves that start on the bonnet also define the sides and rear of the model, marking the start of the belt and character lines. Apart from these sharp lines, the rest of the body work is clean and unadorned. If you close one eye and squint in an attempt to erase the back doors, the Shooting Brake could live up to its name with its long, gently sloping roofline. At the back, the simple, rectangular lights are topped by a small but distinct lip that starts on the character line above the rear wheels and runs across the boot, creating a right angle normally be attributed to saloons and hatchbacks. A new four-pipe exhaust and sporty diffuser sit low and accentuate the width of the car.

None of these smaller details are particularly ground-breaking. We return, therefore, to the sloping roofline and lengthy Shooting Brake-esque body when highlighting the pleasing appearance of the model. Also, the metallic ‘Lapiz Blue’ paint job twinkles and shines, even under grey Welsh skies. It’s certainly a looker.

Slick, roomy, and user-friendly

VW’s interior design team decided to rip apart the old Arteon and go for something completely different. This latest model has a fresh and modern IP. The middle section consists of horizontal layers finished mostly in chrome and black glossy material, and includes embedded air vents that are sleek and narrow. This section runs above the 10.25-inch touchscreen, which sits flush inside the bridge between the IP and the centre console, and meets the digital driver cluster. The same chrome and gloss materials then continue on the door panels, which provides the front occupants with a cocooning feel.

However, the cabin is by no means claustrophobic. As you’d expect with the lengthy body, there’s plenty of room in the front and the back. In fact, VW says that the rear legroom measures 1,016mm, which is best-in-class. Furthermore, the gentle slope of the roof means that more headroom is available in the front and back when compared to the saloon – 1,019mm and 883mm respectively, an increase of 11mm and 48mm over the saloon. Also, with the back seats down, the boot capacity is 1,632 litres, up from 1,557 litres.

From a user interface point of view, the Arteon is arguably one of the better VW models currently on the market, featuring a mix of traditional buttons and switches, touch-sensitive surfaces and sliders, as well as a fairly decent voice control system. The steering wheel also includes glossy black sections with touch-sensitive buttons, although it is a little crowded and could probably do without the heated steering wheel button, for example.

As with all R-Line VWs, the Arteon Shooting Brake R-Line that we tested had some added extras over the standard model. In terms of materials, black carbon inserts are included on the IP and door panels, as is leather. The bucket-like seats are made of Nappa leather, with blue stitching that also features on the sporty steering wheel. There is also a Harmon Kardon speaker system. Each of these details give the R-Line model a little added pizzazz, and without them, the Arteon Shooting Brake would likely feel far more pedestrian.

All aboard the cruiser

Speaking of feeling pedestrian, the drive isn’t exactly thrilling. The model we tested included a 2.0-litre TSI engine that delivers 190ps and 320bhp, and although VW says this engine is the most powerful in its EA888 family, it doesn’t feel potent enough for the R-Line badge. Acceleration is mediocre when a heavy right foot is applied, no matter if it is from a standing start or not. Perhaps this is down to the bulk of the Arteon Shooting Brake.

Alongside the 2.0-litre engine is a seven-speed direct shift gearbox (DSG). Just like the engine, the gearbox seems surprised when the accelerator is pressed, and will take a while before jumping down. The same is true when applying anything more than a dab to the brakes.

However, all that being said, the gearbox and engine do perform well at steady speeds. The Arteon Shooting Brake feels like a cruiser, suited to long miles on the motorway. Its ride is comfortable, and there is little tyre or wind noise. The R-Line badge, then, seems to be there to ensure the interior is easier on the eye, rather than indicating fiery performance.

When VW launched the Arteon Shooting Brake, the company’s motorsport representative Hans-Joachim Stuck said that the model is “made for every area of life, whether you enjoy a sporty driving style, love heading to the race track, undertake a lot of long journeys, or have your family with you – the car is ideal for everything.” I’d agree with approximately half of that statement. For long journeys and to take the kids away on holiday, the Arteon Shooting Brake will do the job brilliantly. Take it on the track though, and you’ll be in danger of falling asleep behind the wheel.