In-depth reviews

Volkswagen Arteon hatchback - Reliability & safety

Hi-tech features mean that Volkswagen Arteon safety should be first-class, but reliability is unproven for now

Carbuyer Rating

4.2 out of 5

Owners Rating

4.8 out of 5

Read owner reviews
Reliability & safety Rating

4.0 out of 5

The Arteon uses petrol and diesel engines derived from those that have been proven in many other cars from the Volkswagen Group of companies. Reliability ought not to be a big concern, although the German carmaker hasn’t always enjoyed the greatest reputation in this area. The long list of driver-assistance technologies on offer ensures the Arteon is a very safe car, too, with excellent results in independent crash-testing.

Volkswagen Arteon reliability

While the Arteon itself wasn’t included, the Volkswagen brand had a fairly poor showing in our 2020 Driver Power owner satisfaction survey, coming 19th out of 30 manufacturers. A total of 20.2% of VW owners reported experiencing a fault with their car within the first 12 months of ownership.

Safety

The Volkswagen Arteon performed well across the entire gamut of Euro NCAP testing, with its score of 85% in the pedestrian safety category the highest of any executive model so far. A score of 96% for adult occupant protection and 85% for child occupants is clear evidence of the Arteon being not only strong, but meticulously designed to absorb impacts and keep passengers safe. A range of safety technology including autonomous emergency braking (AEB) and lane-keeping assistance that can help avoid errant vehicles all contributed to a high score of 82% in the category dedicated to safety equipment.

Richard is a former editor of Carbuyer, as well as sister site DrivingElectric.com, and he's now Deputy Editor at Auto Express. Having spent a decade working in the automotive industry, he understands exactly what makes new car buyers tick.

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