VW to launch new large saloon

Volkswagen has released a sketch of a new premium large saloon which will launch in 2017, writes Brian Byrne.

The Arteon will debut at Geneva in March and will sit above the Passat in the Volkswagen brand lineup.

The 4-door saloon will have a tailgate access to a very large boot area.

It's the second premium model from the brand revealed this year — the Phideon (below) was shown at Geneva 2016, for the Chinese market.

Volkswagen's previous top end car, the Phaeton, was sold between 2002-2016, during which period some 84,325 units were bought worldwide.

No engines have been revealed for the Arteon, but the China market Phideon offers 2.0 and 3.0 turbocharged petrol power, while the Phaeton used petrol and diesel engines ranging 3.0-6.0 litres capacity.