The 2022 Volkswagen Arteon is getting a sizable and powerful update just one year after it went through a mid-cycle refresh. “Powerful” is the operative word, too, because the Arteon is packing more ponies than it ever has in the U.S.

We know that you’re thinking R, but no, the Arteon R is not coming to America. Instead, VW is boosting power up to near-R level, coming in at 300 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque from VW’s 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder. That’s just 15 horsepower and 15 pounds of twist less than the R model, so expect acceleration to edge closer to the R’s approximate 5-second sprint to 60 mph. It’s not quite the R, but it’s going to be pretty close when it comes to straight line speed.

In other performance news, VW swapped out the eight-speed torque converter automatic for the seven-speed dual-clutch DSG automatic. Moving to VW’s excellent dual-clutch automatic transmission should instantly make the car more fun and lively to drive. Plus, with power nearing that of the new Golf R, the car should prove a much more attractive option for enthusiasts.

With more power comes a higher price. The new baseline is the SE R-Line, and it starts at $41,190, including the $1,195 destination charge. That’s a $3,000 price increase over last year’s SE base model. VW adds more standard equipment in addition to the performance upgrades, as you now get front/rear parking sensors, wireless phone charging and new 18-inch wheels. Do note that this $41,190 comes with front-wheel drive. If you want all-wheel drive, you have to jump up to the SEL R-Line (in which all-wheel drive is standard), and the price bumps up to $45,810. There is one higher trim, the SEL Premium R-Line, but VW doesn’t list a price for this top-of-the-line model yet. Expect it to be just a touch more expensive than the SEL R-Line below it.

Timing for the 2022 Arteon wasn’t initially made available, but we suspect the new, more powerful model will be rolling into dealers soon.

Sedans, as well as other body styles that are not crossovers, SUVs, and pickups, have lost significant ground to high-riders these past few years in our market. As a result, we no longer have that many to choose from when buying new cars, and that list is bound to grow in the near future.
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According to AutoNews, Volkswagen is planning to kill the Arteon in America. The sedan, five-door coupe, or liftback if you will, is set to bite the dust in 2024, thus following in the footsteps of the Passat, which is no longer available in the New World.

On a slightly more positive note, the news outlet reports that it will be replaced by the ID. Aero. This model was previewed by the eponymous concept a few months ago and will rival the likes of the Tesla Model 3. It will be sold in China starting next year, as well as in Europe, and America, with the latter two versions to be put together at the brand’s Emden factory, in Germany.

Another sedan that might be discontinued is the Jetta, together with the sportier Jetta GLI. The compact model was supposed to get a redesign in 2024, yet it will “receive a freshening instead at that time,” the quoted website says, blaming it on “the slow state of sedan sales.” Volkswagen’s hot hatchbacks, the Golf GTI and Golf R, will be updated in 2025, apparently.

On the crossover side, the automaker is expected to launch a battery-electric three-row one in 2026. By that time, the Atlas and Atlas Cross Sport will have received new generations, subsequent to the alleged mid-cycle refresh scheduled for the first half of next year. The Taos is expected to be facelifted in 2025, and the all-new Tiguan might launch in the U.S. in 2025.

Volkswagen announced today a new initiative to increase the brand’s profitability. The program comes with casualties as it will shift VW’s focus from lower-volume models to higher ones, meaning cars like the Arteon are dead.

The automaker didn’t say what other low-selling models are on the chopping block, but it specifically called out the Arteon. Its demise comes as little surprise as sales for the stylish sedan fell nearly 69 percent in 2022 to just 1,742 in the US, a fraction of the brand’s overall sales that were just over 301,000 last year. Sales for the Arteon were up through the 2023’s first quarter by over 1,000 percent, although VW sold just 528 of them, so it’s not exactly making a roaring comeback.
Instead of building the Arteon, Volkswagen will focus on several core models, according to brand CEO Thomas Schäfer. The company wants to reduce the complexity of its models as one way to achieve higher profit, including reducing the number of configuration options for each model. For example, the VW ID.7 has 99 percent fewer configurations than the seventh-generation Golf. The company also wants to optimize its plant capacity utilization so it can better meet fluctuating demand.

The automaker didn’t say when it would discontinue the Arteon. A report from last September alleged that the model would disappear from the lineup after the 2024 model year, with an electric vehicle likely serving as its replacement. The company has already confirmed the ID. Aero is coming to America, which it previewed in 2022 as a stylish concept that rides on the brand’s MEB platform, which, along with MQB, will be vital architectures the company will use to achieve its profit goals.