But no definitive decision yet.
In what could be construed to be a response to the popularity enjoyed by the Kia Stinger, German automotive powerhouse Volkswagen is in the midst of finishing work on a new turbocharged V6 petrol mill, that will do service in some of Wolfsburg’s bigger cars, and may eventually do duty in the very pretty Arteon fastback.
The progress on the engine development was revealed by Martin Hube, a spokesperson for product lines at Volkswagen. In essence, the new 3.0-litre mill is a continuation of Volkswagen’s narrow-angle ‘VR6’ engine designs. The new engine will first be used in the Chinese-only Terramont SUV, afterwhich it will be applied to the US-only Atlas.
Impressively, there is already a prototype Arteon with the 3.0-litre V6 running around, and it appears to have gotten Hube’s seal of approval already.
“I’m totally convinced that this combination [Arteon & V6] is extremely nice. We’ve combined it with the latest version of the Haldex [all-wheel drive system] where you can provoke a bit of oversteer. This is a real agile, powerful car. You can beat all the Porsche Panameras out of your way!” - Martin Hube, Spokesperson (Product Line), Volkswagen
Hube made the comments out to CarThrottle during the launch of the Polo GTI.
Volkswagen UK has commented on the likelihood of a V6 Arteon, and clarified that head office in Wolfsburg was still considering the business case for it. However, they have said clearly that it will not be offered in the UK for “a variety of reasons.” We wonder if it could be an emissions regulations issue.
For more information on Volkswagen, check out our Showroom.
