The new 2021 Volkswagen Arteon R-Line 4Motion is off to a strong start in Malaysia, despite the ongoing EMCO / NRP situation and car showrooms still shuttered.

Bookings for the new Arteon R-Line 4Motion were opened in June and in less than one month, the bookings collected has exceeded Volkswagen Passenger Car Malaysia’s (VPCM) targets.

Also read: 2021 VW Arteon R-Line facelift: Bookings open, CKD, est. RM 255k, 280 PS, 4Motion

The company however, has elected to not reveal any figures yet, which is understandable because of the brand’s relatively smaller scale of operations in the Malaysia, and the company’s priority is customer retention and ownership satisfaction rather than chasing after high sales figures. That they’ve learned well enough from their overly ambitious past efforts here.

Despite the ongoing pandemic situation, VPCM says it will stay on-course and will launch the new Arteon as planned.

Managing Director Erik Winter did not reveal any further details of when the new Arteon R-Line 4Motion will be launched, but said it will be happening very soon. Instead, Winter shared some progress on the Arteon’s order books.

“The response since we opened for booking has exceeded expectations, and I believe this is because the new Arteon offers the perfect balance of power and beauty. You get performance with 280 PS and 4MOTION, and once you get inside, a sleek new cockpit with wireless App-Connect for Apple CarPlay and Android Auto,” he told Wapcar.my.

The Volkswagen brand, though small, is one of the most digitized car brand in Malaysia, if not the most.

Online launches and online car sales are nothing new to VW. Last year, VPCM launched the Passat R-Line online, and the company has been selling cars online since 2017.

Today, VPCM’s online showroom is the most comprehensive of all, covering not just its new cars (VW e-showroom), but also certified pre-owned ones (Das Welt Auto).

Also read: Shopping for a car online this FMCO? Here are some links for your weekend browsing

The new locally-assembled (CKD, Pekan) VW Arteon R-Line 4Motion has an estimated price of between RM 245,000 to RM 255,000.

The sleek and sexy looking 4 frameless doors-coupe Arteon is essentially a budget Mercedes-Benz CLS that is priced like a Mercedes-Benz C-Class, except that the VW one ups either Mercedes-Benzes by pairing 280 PS / 350 Nm with 4Motion all-wheel drive for all-weather traction and control.

The 7-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission also comes with xDS electronic differential lock, which basically makes it a Golf R with a boot, and frameless doors.

With adaptive Dynamic Chassis Control (DCC) suspension and Nappa Carbon leather wrapped ErgoComfort seats, and considering how comfortable and quiet the pre-facelift base line Arteon is, the Arteon R-Line 4Motion will be a lot more comfortable than either the aging Mercedes-Benz C200 (review here) or the sharp-handling but harsh-riding G20 BMW 320i (review here).

Also available is a 12-speaker, 700-watt Harman Kardon sound system, and a 9.2-inch Discover Pro infotainment system with wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay.

Driving assistance however, is limited only to Lane Assist (Lane Keep Assist, LKA), Side Assist (Blind Spot Monitor, BSM). Still no adaptive cruise control though.

Never mind the lower range Mercedes-Benz C200 (RM 251,587, 204 PS / 300 Nm) or BMW 320i (RM 243,883, 184 PS / 300 Nm), the Arteon should be seen as the thinking man’s Audi A5 Sportback (RM 376,900, 252 PS / 370 Nm).