Volkswagen previews new Arteon ahead of Geneva debut

Volkswagen has a released a sketch, revealing the upcoming Arteon luxury sedan’s design. Described as sitting above the current Passat saloon in Volkswagen's international line-up, the Arteon is the replacement for the carmaker’s CC four-door coupé, which ended production earlier this month. The CC was typically one of Volkswagen’s lower-selling models, with just short of 4,000 units being sold in 2015.

Volkswagen says that the Arteon will come with a "highly expressive, horizontally accentuated brand look". As part of that, the four-door premium saloon will come with a larger front grille and LED lights with 3D styling. Volkswagen added that the car's frameless windows "reflect the typical stylistic elements of a grand tourer", while a large boot features at the rear.

Part of the Arteon's design appears to be inspired by the Sport Coupé GTE concept car which made its debut at last year’s Geneva motor show. While the concept featured a 3.0-litre V6 petrol engine working in conjunction with an electric motor, it's understood that the production Arteon will take the majority of its engine range from the current Passat line-up.

Announcing the car, Volkswagen Exterior Designer Tobias Sühlmann said, "At first sight, the Arteon arouses enthusiasm through its expressive design. It then surprises through its practical virtues. This combination is unique."

The new Arteon is slated to make its full debut at the Geneva motor show in March 2017, followed by a full market launch. So far, Volkswagen has only applied to trademark the Arteon name in its home market of Germany - the application was made in July this year.