New Volkswagen Arteon premium saloon teased ahead of Geneva debut

Volkswagen is set to debut its new premium saloon – Arteon at the Geneva motor show next March before replacing the soon-to-be discontinued CC.

Described as sitting above the current Passat saloon in Volkswagen's line-up, the Arteon is one of the first all-new models to come from the VW brand since the emissions scandal which engulfed the company last year and which lead to group's restructuring over the last 12 months.

The Arteon is the replacement for the CC, Volkswagen's four-door coupé which ended production earlier this month. The CC was typically one of VW's lower-selling models, with just short of 4000 units being sold in 2015.

The single design sketch above is all that's been revealed of the Arteon's design so far, but VW says the four-door car will come with a "highly expressive, horizontally accentuated brand look." As part of that look, the Arteon will come with a larger front grille and LED lights with 3D styling. VW says the car's frameless windows "reflect the typical stylistic elements of a grand tourer" while a large boot features at the rear.

Previous leaked images appeared to show the Arteon's design more clearly, but Volkswagen hasn't confirmed if they are genuine so today's sketch is the only official image of the new car.

Part of the Arteon's design appears to be inspired by the Sport Coupé GTE concept car which made its debut in Geneva last year. While the concept car 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 deisgn. It then surprises through its practical virtues. This combination is unique."

The Arteon's name is said to reflect its artistic and emotional nature, and also its intention to sit as a premium model. The Phideon, VW's executive saloon for China, also carries the 'eon' name.

Following the Arteon's debut in Geneva next year, a full market launch is planned for next summer. Although not confirmed, Autocar understands the Arteon will be sold in the UK.

So far, Volkswagen has only applied to trademark the Arteon name in its home market of Germany - the application was made in July of this year.