• Good but not outstanding fuel economy
• VW servicing not the cheapest – but long intervals
• Strong resale values

What are the running costs?

This broadly depends on which model you go for and how many miles you cover. Most Volkswagen Arteons have good fuel economy thanks to turbocharging, while the plug-in hybrid model can really reduce running costs if you charge from home at night and make the most of its 30-odd-mile electric only range.

Strong residual values and list prices that undercut some of the upmarket competition mean that monthly payments for those taking out PCP finance are impressively low. And while the Volkswagen badge may not have the cachet of Mercedes or BMW equivalents, in most cases finance costs are lower with the Arteon than the alternatives – meaning that you’ll spend less each month with the Volkswagen.

Volkswagen also regularly offers deposit contributions which act as cash discounts off the deposit for the car. A word of warning, though – deposit contributions rarely come with low or 0% APR finance.

The Arteon’s claimed fuel economy and CO2 is competitive for the size of car, and importantly, in our experience, its official combined WLTP consumption figures can be matched in real-world driving. The exception is the eHybrid model. As with most plug-ins, its official MPG figure of 245.8mpg is mostly make belief. But if you charge regularly you’ll achieve three figures.

However, on a 54-mile trip from London to Oxford, we managed 89mpg, which is pretty good considering a lot of the journey was taken at motorway speeds and we still had half a battery left to aid the return jaunt.

The diesels are the best mpg performers on paper if you don’t want the hassle of charging. While the petrols are the worst-performing statistically, in a week’s worth of testing comprising mainly of motorway and A-road driving, the R Line 2.0 TSI averaged 44.9mpg – very impressive.

Harmful NOx emissions are kept at bay in the diesel through the use of a Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) system. To maintain this you’ll need to keep the 13-litre AdBlue tank topped up, increasing costs. Volkswagen predicts the AdBlue will need replenishing every 9,000 miles, although consumption will vary with usage and driving style.

Servicing and warranty

The Arteon has VW’s standard warranty which is two years unlimited mileage with a further one-year 60,000-mile one tacked on.

Volkswagen has one of the largest dealer networks in the UK. So you’ll more than likely have one close to you. Service and maintenance plans for the Arteon are available, and they can be built into your monthly finance agreement. Work carried out comes with a two-year warranty.

Reliability

• Based on proven VW Group technology
• Four-wheel drive and DSG add complexity
• Small niggles, but overall a reliable product

The Volkswagen Arteon uses a lot of well-established Volkswagen Group technologies – including the engines and underpinnings – and we’re yet to hear of any real horror stories regarding these.

Although not a measure of reliability per se the Arteon has been subjected to three recalls in the UK – one for its brakes, one for the sunroof and one for the ongoing issues with the 1.5 TSI engine’s lack of pulling power at low revs, especially when cold.

You can find out what it’s like to own in our long-term section or what owners have found the VW Arteon to be like to live with in the Parkers owners reviews.