As Volkswagen's Arteon Starts Hunting Buyers, Dealers Have Cash to Work With

You may have read a first drive review of Volkswagen’s new flagship, the Arteon, earlier today, but you probably didn’t know the automaker is already offering discounts on the liftback sedan.

We’ve spoken of the difficulties VW faces in launching a large car in a crossover-hungry market; the addition of available all-wheel drive and a carefully disguised rear hatch doesn’t take away from the fact the Arteon is *not* an Atlas. Maybe a dealer cash incentive will help move this unfamiliar metal.

News of the unadvertised cash comes from CarsDirect, which learned of the potential $2,500 discount via a dealer incentive bulletin. Its up to individual dealers to decide whether to keep the dough or use it to incentivize an automotive newcomer.

The premium large midsize scene isn’t a sparse segment

Arteon have only just become available after a series of issues delayed its trans-Atlantic boat trip. Starting at $35,845 for the base, front-drive SE model (destination amounts to $995), the Arteon line moves up through the SE 4Motion, SEL with 4Motion, SEL R-Line with 4Motion, and SEL Premium with 4Motion, with some trims suffering from limited availability. The top-flight model stickers for $46,210 before destination.

CarsDirect points to a financing offer that would-be buyers should consider. It seems VW Credit is offering a dealer APR bonus of $2,000, combined with 2.9 percent financing for 60 months, which makes for a cheaper buy than other financing options. Leasing, on the other hands, is a different story.

From the publication:

Those leasing the Arteon will enjoy an ultra-low money factor of 0.00005. That’s equivalent to 0.1% APR, a hair above the 0% the brand is offering on the 2019 Passat. That said, factory discounts for leasing are limited to a mere $400, and only when choosing the SE R-Line trim.

VW’s first lease on the Arteon starts at $429 for 39 months with $3,499 due at signing. The offer comes with an allowance of 10,000 miles per year and equates to an effective cost of $519/month. At that price, we’re inclined to say the car is too expensive to recommend.

For less than that monthly sum, a shopper could get into a Honda Accord 2.0T Touring or base Kia Stinger, the second of those two models being $123 a month pricier than the advertised Arteon lease.

More significant is the lease offered on the 2019 ES 350, Lexus’ front-drive premium benchmark, which works out to an effective cost $462 a month.

[Images: Tim Healey/TTAC, Volkswagen of America]