VW Arteon Shooting Brake Review: The Stylish Family Car That Secretly Wants to Be a Gran Turismo

The quiet frustration of driving something you dont love

You know that feeling when you lock your car in the parking lot and dont even bother looking back? It gets the job done, sure. It hauls kids, groceries, laptops, maybe a golden retriever on weekends. But theres zero spark. No moment where you think: Thats mine, and I love it.

Modern life has convinced a lot of people to settle for tall, clumsy SUVs because they seem like the only sensible option. Space means a crossover. Comfort means something soft and slightly anonymous. And driving enjoyment? Thats often left on the cutting room floor.

But what if you didnt have to choose between usefulness and desire? What if you could have a car that looks like a design study from an auto show, swallows luggage like a small SUV, and still feels calm, premium, and composed every time you get behind the wheel?

Enter the VW Arteon Shooting Brake: the elegant escape from SUV sameness

The VW Arteon Shooting Brake is Volkswagens long-roof version of its flagship fastback, and its aimed squarely at people who want space and practicality, but refuse to drive a box on stilts. Think of it as a sleek gran turismo that just happens to be able to carry a stroller, bicycles, and a long weekend's worth of luggage.

On Volkswagens official site, the Arteon Shooting Brake is positioned as a premium, design-led model  the top of the brands combustion-engine food chain. You get that from the first glance: the wide grille with integrated LED light strip, the low, stretched profile, and the shooting brake roofline that looks more boutique than family-hauler.

Underneath the design, though, is the real story: a car built to do everyday life with an ease thats almost invisible until you step back into something more basic. Long-distance comfort, big-boot practicality, refined engines, and loads of tech come together in a package that feels almost deliberately underrated.

Why this specific model?

If youre wondering why youd pick the VW Arteon Shooting Brake over yet another SUV or a standard sedan, it comes down to three big ideas: presence, practicality, and peace of mind.

Presence: The Arteon Shooting Brake sits low and wide, with a wheelbase that gives it real road presence. Multiple reviewers and owners describe it as a fake Audi A7 in the best way  premium looks without the premium badge anxiety or price. On Reddit, owners often say they get regular compliments at gas stations and parking lots, something you rarely hear about anonymous crossovers.

Practicality: The long roofline isnt just a styling flourish. The Shooting Brake body unlocks a more usable cargo area than the Arteon fastback, with a wide-opening tailgate and a flat, low load floor. According to Volkswagens specs, you get a generous luggage volume with the rear seats up, and even more with them folded. In real life that means: two large suitcases, a couple of smaller bags and still space for that last-minute grocery run.

Peace of mind: This is still very much a Volkswagen: solid build, refined cabin, and the sort of calm, predictable driving manners that make long highway trips feel short. Owners frequently highlight the comfort and quietness on the motorway. Adaptive assistance systems, a digital cockpit, and available features like adaptive chassis control (depending on market and trim) turn the Arteon into an effortlessly capable touring car.

Compared to performance-focused German premiums, the VW Arteon Shooting Brake doesnt try to overwhelm you with hardcore sportiness. Instead, it focuses on what youll actually feel every day: a supple ride (especially with adaptive dampers), stable high-speed composure, and engines that deliver confident passing power without drama.

At a Glance: The Facts

Feature	User Benefit
Long-roof Shooting Brake body style	Combines the sleek look of a coupe with wagon-like cargo space for real-world family and travel use.
Spacious luggage compartment with wide tailgate	Makes it easy to load strollers, bikes, suitcases, and bulky items without playing Tetris every time.
Available TSI petrol and TDI diesel engines (market dependent)	Offers a balance between performance and efficiency, giving you relaxed highway cruising and decent fuel economy.
Digital cockpit and large infotainment display	Modern, clean cabin layout with clear navigation, media, and driver-info right in your line of sight.
Driver assistance systems (e.g., adaptive cruise, lane assist, emergency braking)	Reduces stress in heavy traffic and on long journeys, and adds an extra layer of safety in daily driving.
Optional adaptive chassis control (DCC) on some trims	Lets you tailor the ride from comfortable to firmer and more controlled, depending on mood and road.
Premium design and interior finish	Makes every commute feel more special, with a cabin that looks and feels above the mainstream norm.

What users are saying

Across enthusiast forums and Reddit threads, general sentiment on the VW Arteon and specifically the Arteon Shooting Brake skews positive, with a few consistent themes.

What people love:

• Design: Owners routinely call it one of the best-looking cars in its class, praising the low stance, front light signature, and wagon silhouette. Many chose it explicitly because they didnt want an SUV.
• Comfort and refinement: Reviews often highlight how quiet and stable it feels on the highway. Seats are described as supportive over long distances, particularly in higher trims.
• Practicality without the bulk: Arteon Shooting Brake drivers appreciate that they get a big, usable trunk and good rear-seat space while still fitting into tight city parking spots more easily than a large SUV.
• Value vs. premium brands: Several owners note they cross-shopped German luxury marques and landed on the Arteon because it delivered 8090% of the feel for significantly less money, especially as a nearly-new or used buy.

Where people are critical:

• Infotainment quirks: Some users complain about capacitive touch controls, menu complexity, and occasional software lag, depending on model year and system generation.
• Performance expectations: While the available engines are capable, spirited drivers sometimes wish for a more overtly sporty setup or higher-output options in some markets.
• Running costs in some regions: A few owners mention that larger wheels, premium tires, and higher-spec trims can push maintenance and insurance closer to premium territory.

Still, the dominant narrative from actual drivers is that the VW Arteon Shooting Brake feels special to live with: a car they genuinely enjoy seeing in the driveway, but which still behaves like a sensible daily tool.

Alternatives vs. VW Arteon Shooting Brake

The Arteon Shooting Brake sits in a niche thats shrinking but increasingly desirable to people bored of crossovers: stylish wagons and fastback tourers.

• Vs. mid-size SUVs: Crossovers give you a higher seating position and, in some cases, marginally more headroom. But they usually cant match the Arteons driving refinement, fuel efficiency at highway speeds, or low-slung elegance. If you value driving feel and design, the Arteon will likely make you happier.
• Vs. premium German fastbacks (e.g., Audi A5 Sportback, BMW 4 Series Gran Coupe9): Those badges carry more prestige and can offer more powerful engine options, but they are typically more expensive to buy and run. The Arteon counters with more interior space, a cavernous cargo area in Shooting Brake form, and a lower total cost of ownership.
• Vs. other wagons (where available): Competing estate models from mainstream brands may undercut the Arteon on price, but often lack its design flair and premium ambiance. If you just want maximum space per dollar, a more utilitarian estate might win; if you want something that feels genuinely special, the Arteon lands in a sweet spot.

Ultimately, the VW Arteon Shooting Brake is for you if you secretly wish wagons never went out of style and you want something more visually striking than a traditional estate, but more liveable and affordable than a high-end luxury fastback.

Final Verdict

The VW Arteon Shooting Brake isnt trying to shout the loudest on Instagram or out-muscle sports sedans at track days. Its ambition is more grown-up: to be the car you reach for when you need to cross a country in comfort, carry real stuff, and still feel a flicker of joy every time you catch its reflection in a shop window.

It solves a problem that many drivers dont fully articulate: the gap between what they need (space, safety, usability) and what they secretly want (style, presence, something a little aspirational). By blending the two, it turns routine journeys into something closer to a low-key grand tour.

As the flagship of Volkswagen AGs combustion range, backed by the engineering heft of a major automaker listed under ISIN: DE0007664039, the Arteon Shooting Brake feels like a carefully considered swan song for the traditional long-distance cruiser. Its modern, well-equipped, and perfectly adapted to the real world, but it also remembers that cars can still be objects of desire.

If youre tired of driving something youll never look back at, the VW Arteon Shooting Brake is absolutely worth a long, serious test drive. Theres a good chance you walk away thinking: that might just be the grown-up dream car I didnt know I was allowed to have.