Review finds 2018 VW Arteon is competent but too expensive

VW trying to cut itself a slice of the premium car market is not something new

We've all heard of the Phaeton and its failure to shake up things in the luxury segment. It wasn't a bad car, quite the contrary, but the VW badge didn't quite appeal to affluent customers — after all, who would want to be seen in a VW rather than in a Mercedes-Benz S-Class or a BMW 7 Series?

Is history repeating now with the all-new VW Arteon? It's too early to tell, but Wolfsburg's new attempt at building a premium car seems to be better thought out. For starters, unlike the Phaeton, the Arteon does not target the full-size luxury sedan segment.

Instead, VW wants it to be an alternative to premium midsize models like the BMW 4 Series Gran Coupé and Audi A5 Sportback. But will people see more in the Arteon than a glorified Passat? After all, the CC successor shares its platform and engines with VW's midsize sedan, and the dashboard is largely the same.

Well, Carwow's Mat Watson finds the Arteon a competent contender, but can't get around the fact that it's too expensive for a VW. Scroll down to watch his review.