VW Arteon gains SE trim with lower P11d

Volkswagen has revised the Arteon line-up, adding a new entry-level SE trim with a lower P11d price for business users.

The Arteon will also be available with the VW Group’s new 2.0-litre TDI evo engine, which features cylinder deactivation for lower emissions.

Initially the SE trim will be available to order with a 2.0-litre TDI petrol engine. It develops 190 PS and has emission of 144g/km.

Priced at £33,085, the Arteon SE TSI 190 costs £2,000 less than the previously cheapest Arteon.

The new model comes with cloth seats, instead of the standard-fit leather items in Elegance and R-Line models.

Adaptive cruise control, front and rear parking sensors, heated front seats and three-zone climate control are fitted as standard.

The SE also features LED headlights, although they are not adaptive as on the Elegance and R-Line.

As part of the 2020 model year updates to the Arteon, Elegance and R-Line trim levels will now come with Discover Navigation Pro with 9.2-inch touchscreen.

SE versions still get sat-nav, but with an eight-inch screen.

The introduction of the new 150PS TDI evo is expected to see a reduction in CO2 emissions to around 100g/km – based on provisional figures for other cars with the new powertrain - although this has not be confirmed yet.

Emissions for the 2.0-litre 190PS TDI DSG 4Motion variant have also decreased to 130g/km. The car’s on-the-road (OTR) price has also dropped to £39,025 in Elegance specification, and £39,825 OTR for the R-Line to avoid the higher VED band.

VW is also planning to offer the Arteon in a new R-Line Business trim level, which mirrors the existing specification but offers the car with a lower P11d price for selected business customers.

The Arteon line-up is now exclusively available with 2.0-litre engines, as the 150PS 1.5-litre petrol is no longer offered.

Joe Laurence, Arteon product manager at Volkswagen UK, said: “With luxurious Elegance and sporty R-Line, the current Arteon trim levels offer a choice to those in the market for a sleekly designed fastback. One is sporty, but not at the expense of comfort; the other offers affordable luxury without compromising driving pleasure. These trim levels represent even better value with the addition of new standard equipment for the new model year.

“Now, the new SE trim offers a third, value-driven option to the line-up –  providing an Arteon to drivers who want the best of both worlds.”

The Arteon SE is available to order now, with the new diesel expected in the coming months.

We spent six months driving the VW Arteon as part of our long-term test fleet. To read more about it, click here.