Making its debut at the Geneva Motor Show and replacing what began as the Passat CC four-door coupe, later this year arrives the all-new 2018 Volkswagen Arteon.

A new premium model in the Volkswagen lineup, the Arteon will be positioned above the Passat both globally and in North America. With its 111.9-inch wheelbase slightly longer than our US Passat, it’s just a half inch shorter at a still large 191.4-inches long.

With all that size it enables the fastback Gran Turismo roof line to a car that will seat five with plenty of room to spare. It’s now the second large vehicle Volkswagen has introduced on their MQB platform architecture, the other being the Atlas SUV.

Design themes come largely from the Sport Coupé Concept GTE unveiled two-years ago. A bold new face with a grille that flows into its standard LED headlamps is what Volkswagen tells us a new design language to look for on upcoming models.

A strong shoulder line spans front to rear very reminiscent of the Sport Coupé Concept GTE but the greenhouse gets its own look with a window that extends past the rear door much like we’ve seen on some Passat models before.

The interior design however continues the themes we’ve been seeing from Volkswagen both in its styling and its overall character. Heated leather and suede combination seating surfaces will be standard on both trim grades that will be available, Elegance and R-Line.

New is the Digital Cockpit premium instrument display and an all-glass touchscreen center stack that replaces many of the knobs and buttons. The 9.2-inch touch screen that controls the Discover Pro infotainment system features both touch and gesture control and will offer a full suite of navigation, audio, and connectivity features.

Though six different powertrains will be offered in the Arteon globally, at press time Volkswagen only confirms one of them for the North American market being the 188 horsepower 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder gasoline engine.

It’s available with either front-wheel drive and a six-speed automatic transmission or a seven-speed DSG automatic if you order it with 4MOTION all-wheel drive.

The Arteon will also showcase the latest generation of driver assistance systems from Volkswagen including an adaptive cruise control that can take into account map data like speed limits and adjust speed or when a curve is coming and automatically light it up.

A second generation of emergency assist can detect if the driver becomes incapacitated by illness or perhaps falls asleep and can slows the car down and also steers it into the nearside lane if audible alerts aren’t doing the job.

Because the Arteon will be a top-line product it will be one of the only Volkswagen’s you can buy in North America still built in Germany where production starts this summer. We should begin seeing them by year’s end.