Test drive Volkswagen Arteon and Kia Stinger
Special cars have their own market, in which the usual rules of competition hardly work
The flagship Volkswagen now looks like this: a five-door body without side glass frames, a squat silhouette and a very rich exterior trim. Arteon has been waited in Russia for more than two years, and now it seems to be on its own, because it is almost impossible to directly compare this expensive car with other models of the business segment. The Kia Stinger once became the same for the market - a stylish sports car within the framework of a mass brand, which turned out for it not so much as a flagship, but as a showcase.
This is definitely the brightest car I've driven in the past few years. No Mercedes, BMW or Bentley aroused such interest on the streets as this golden Arteon, because even in spoiled Moscow, a novelty from Germany looks like something out of the ordinary. Owners of other Volkswagen, who know for sure that this is a "new Passat CC" and are sure that it is "very expensive", are especially eye-catching.
If the Germans hadn't delayed the withdrawal of the car, the image of a very expensive model could have been softened, but today's reality is that Arteon will have to pay almost 3 million in the conditionally basic configuration, and certainly not less than 3 million in the Premium version, which here seems very logical. The catch is that, having barely appeared in Russia, Arteon manages to renew itself in Europe, and it is somehow not easy to buy a pre-styling version.
I have no idea what the Arteon is like as a family one, because I didn't even try to put child seats in it. But, judging by the design, there are no contraindications: there is plenty of room in the rear seats, even taking into account the low roof, there are Isofix mounts, and its trunk is quite comparable to the reference Skoda Superb. The idea of releasing a stylish car in a liftback form factor seems like a military trick, because it is an easy way to make a beautiful car even more versatile. Well, frameless doors are not just stylish, but also quite expensive, at least visually.
The fact that the car has a regular interior from VW Passat is not embarrassing yet (the previous Passat CC had an infinitely outdated panel), but after a juicy appearance, there is a little lack of colors and bolder lines inside. The graphics of devices and media systems help out to some extent, but here you come across the fact that Arteon does not do everything automatically. The car for 3 million does not have a car parker, and it does not want to turn the steering wheel in turns, but all this is redeemed by beautiful matrix headlights that illuminate the road with sectors and allow you to always drive with a distant one, without disturbing others. True, the Superb can do about the same, so when you compare the trim levels directly, you understand that 3 million are paid mainly for the design.
You can even exclude driving performance, because here they seem a little secondary. 190 forces is the lowest level, but you want more. The correct handling is in place, but, again, nothing masterpiece - the usual strong Volkswagen, which knows how to drive perfectly, but without zest. And then you just want something like a rear-wheel drive, so that it is a little more exciting, well, or at least complete, but it is not and will not be for any additional payment.
It turns out that in a couple of two very unusual Kia Stinger cars there is more about drive and emotions, but Arteon wins the battle of views with one goal, and we are talking about views from the outside. And if someone dreamed of a boring Volkswagen, then this is exactly the same option, which, moreover, also looks representative enough to be rightfully called a flagship. And the fact that he will definitely not become massive is only in his hands, because a real flagship should not appear on every corner of the city.
During our first meeting, Stinger literally shocked, but our acquaintance turned out to be so emotional for several reasons. First, the test drive of the car took place on the legendary Nordschleife. Secondly, the car was personally presented by one of its creators, no less legendary Albert Bierman. For three decades, this man instilled good manners in BMW M models, and then decided to change something drastically in life and took up an experiment with Koreans, which nevertheless turned out to be successful.
Finally, the Kia brand, which for the past ten years has been building very beautiful, but rather insipid cars in character, amazed me in an amicable way by rolling out a model with such driver habits. But when the euphoria passed, a sober analysis with a cool head began. And at some point, the Korean liftback ceased to seem unique even against the background of the practical and sometimes boring Skoda Superb.
Today it has another rival - the Volkswagen Arteon. And I have almost the same thoughts. If we completely discard the marketing husk, then we can say with confidence: Stinger is not a fastback grand turismo, but an ordinary business-class liftback. True, with a pronounced sporty character. This means that Arteon can be written as a competitor to him along with the premium Audi A5 Sportback or BMW 4 Series Gran Coupe. Moreover, Volkswagen, despite the brand's nationality, claims at its price to compete with cars in higher and more prestigious segments. And the car itself, against the background of the conservative Passat, is quite logically positioned as a more fashionable one.
Those who believe that these cars cannot be compared due to different layouts are only partially right. An ordinary buyer, as a rule, does not care much about how the engine is located under the hood of his car and to which axle the torque is transmitted. Now people choose cars not because of some peculiarity, but for a set of consumer qualities: design, dynamics, comfort on the go, interior convenience and price-to-quality ratio. And in this sense, both of these cars are very close.
But Kia immediately impresses with its striking design, even taking into account the fact that some imbalance in its image introduces congestion of the exterior with small details. There are too many reflectors, plastic gills, linings, fins and other decorations. But the dynamic silhouette with a long hood and the right proportions is good without reservations.
The interior decoration is a logical continuation of the exterior. The Stinger's cabin resembles the cockpit of a fighter plane. At the same time, the driver's workplace is devoid of any serious drawbacks. The fit is comfortable and all controls are close at hand. The button blocks on the center console are also logically arranged. You use them almost intuitively.
With similar dimensions, the Stinger is still slightly inferior to the Arteon in terms of the second row layout. There is enough space here, but the third passenger is hampered by a massive central tunnel. On the other hand, has it been a long time since you put three people in the back row? Again, the Stinger is primarily a driver's car. It may not feel as refined as the Volkswagen on the road, but it has a sharp and precise steering wheel, a responsive gas pedal and a perfectly balanced chassis.
And the main surprise is the overclocking dynamics. The Stinger with a 247-horsepower two-liter turbo engine and four-wheel drive is noticeably faster than the 190-horsepower Arteon. And in fact, the difference of more than 1,5 seconds to "hundreds" translates into a very effective care at a traffic light. In addition, the Korean has a more gambling behavior. It is much more interesting to ride it not in a straight line, but in turns. It is in such modes that the notorious features of the layout affect.
Well, the main argument in favor of the Stinger is the price. Even with the initial 197-horsepower engine, four-wheel drive is available, and such a car costs less than $ 31. And our version with a 556-horsepower engine starts at $ 247 and even in the richest version of the GT-Line fits into $ 33. the price of the Arteon only starts at $ 198, and for generously equipped cars it goes over $ 39.
| Body type | Liftback | Liftback |
| Dimensions (length / width / height), mm | 4831/1896/1400 | 4862/1871/1450 |
| Wheelbase, mm | 2906 | 2837 |
| Ground clearance, mm | 134 | 138 |
| Curb weight, kg | 1850 | 1601 |
| engine's type | Gasoline, R4 turbo | Gasoline, R4 turbo |
| Working volume, cubic meters cm | 1998 | 1984 |
| Power, hp with. at rpm | 247/6200 | 190/4180-6000 |
| Max. cool. moment, Nm at rpm | 353/1400-4000 | 320/1500-4400 |
| Transmission, drive | AKP8 | RKP7 |
| Maksim. speed, km / h | 240 | 239 |
| Acceleration to 100 km / h, from | 6 | 7,7 |
| Fuel consumption, l | 9,2 | 6 |
| Cargo space, l | 406 | 563 |
| Price from, $ | 33 198 | 34 698 |
