The Volkswagen Arteon is a family car designed for those that need the convenience of a Volkswagen Passat, but who can’t live with its tediously practical styling.

It’s a refreshingly sleek and purposeful five-door fastback, which means it’s basically a saloon with a more practical hatchback boot and a sloping coupe shape. It’s a potent formula that really works in the metal and Volkswagen has aided the Arteon’s desirability factor by adding some bright metallic paint options like Kings Red and Kingfisher Blue.

Challengers for your money include the BMW 4 Series Gran Coupe, its in-house rival the Audi A5 Sportback and the chic Peugeot 508. These are five-door fastbacks, like the Arteon, but you might also want to consider traditional saloons such the Mercedes-Benz C-Class, Jaguar XE and Alfa Romeo Giulia as well.

There are six engine choices, but only three trim levels. This is because Volkswagen is offering buyers plug-in hybrid, petrol, or diesel methods of propulsion, but keeping things simple with a base spec level, a sportier-looking model, and finally, an actually sporty R trim level. There’s not a dud specification among them. All are relaxed and comfortable, while the plug-in offers a decent turn of pace, too.

Over the next few pages, we’ll assess every aspect of the Volkswagen Arteon, considering its practicality, comfort, driving experience and running costs. We’ll then offer our final verdict on the car and let you know whether it’s worth spending your money on. Click through the following pages to learn more.