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2021 Volkswagen Arteon: Australian launch by October with Shooting Brake wagon variant

Updated liftback to launch in the third quarter with 200kW turbo engine and wagon variant.


The facelifted 2021 Volkswagen Arteon will go on sale in Australia by the end of September, the brand has announced – with a Shooting Brake wagon body style to be offered locally alongside the liftback for the first time.

Volkswagen Australia confirmed to CarAdvice the updated Arteon liftback and Shooting Brake will go on sale in Australia in the third quarter of 2021 (July to September), answering the calls of wagon enthusiasts (and motoring journalists alike) since the models were unveiled in June 2020.

Just one variant of either model will sold Down Under, powered by a 200kW-plus 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine largely shared with the Golf R hot hatch, driving all four wheels through a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission.

All Arteons sold in Australia will receive the R-Line package as standard, comprising bespoke front and rear bumpers, and sportier side skirts and alloy wheels.

They'll also offer comprehensive levels of standard equipment, expected to include a 9.2-inch infotainment touchscreen, a 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster, large alloy wheels, adaptive cruise control and lane-following assist – the latter pair combining for semi-autonomous driving on motorways at speeds up to 210km/h, dubbed Travel Assist in Volkswagen parlance.

Performance fans keen on the hi-po Arteon R liftback (bottom) and wagon will be disappointed to hear it has been ruled out for our market, due to the niche market (and thus low sales) it would attract, and Volkswagen Australia's preference to focus on the launches of the Golf R, Tiguan R and T-Roc R performance cars instead.

The mill's final power output has yet to be locked in for our market, however, as CarAdvice understands Volkswagen Australia has yet to choose between the 206kW tune offered previously in Australia, or the newer 200kW variant of the engine as sold in Europe.

Should the latter be offered, and the Arteon could become Volkswagen's first model in Australia to offer a petrol particulate filter (PPF) – an emissions-busting technology designed for Europe's stringent regulations – given one is fitted to Australian versions of the Skoda Superb Scout, which features the 200kW/350Nm 2.0-litre turbo engine discussed above. However, this has yet to be confirmed.

Above: UK-spec Volkswagen Arteon interior.

Debuted in June 2020, the facelifted Arteon brought a range of technology and styling tweaks to Volkswagen's svelte five-door, from an updated, touch-based interior and the aforementioned Travel Assist system to a revised exterior design with new bumpers and light signatures.

The Shooting Brake wagon was unveiled alongside the facelift, and sees the liftback's sloping roofline replaced from the B-pillar back with an attractive wagon body and wide rear haunches.

Volkswagen claims 565 litres of boot space in the Shooting Brake with the second row in place, and 1632 litres with it folded – up just 3 and 75 litres, in part due to how the measurements were taken (up to the window line).

The 2021 Volkswagen Arteon liftback and Shooting Brake wagon will go on sale in the third quarter. Local pricing and specifications will be announced closer to launch.


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Alex Misoyannis

Alex Misoyannis has been writing about cars since 2017, when he started his own website, Redline. He contributed for Drive in 2018, before joining CarAdvice in 2019, becoming a regular contributing journalist within the news team in 2020. Cars have played a central role throughout Alex’s life, from flicking through car magazines at a young age, to growing up around performance vehicles in a car-loving family.

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