Volkswagen's stylish new Arteon was delayed for the U.S. market but will finally reach dealerships in summer 2019.

The rakish hatchback slots in above the mainstream Passat and will offer a more luxurious vibe, likely at a considerably higher price point.

The Arteon, essentially a replacement for the CC, rides on VW's MQB platform and will come with a turbocharged 2.0-liter inline-four engine in the U.S.

Originally promised to hit U.S. dealerships in the third quarter of 2018, the Volkswagen Arteon was delayed for our market due to homologation issues. It will now finally go on sale early this summer, a Volkswagen spokesperson confirmed to C/D. This new nameplate effectively replaces the old CC, a derivative of the Passat that had a more rakish design—like the Arteon does.

Volkswagen says the delay was due to the rollout of new WLTP regulations in global markets, which pushed the timeline back for U.S. homologation of this new model. The Arteon will remain a 2019 model-year vehicle in our market, and its U.S. specifications, which were announced in February 2018, won't change. It comes with a single powertrain—a 268-hp 2.0-liter inline-four, mated to an eight-speed automatic transmission—and comes in either front- or all-wheel-drive forms.

Trim levels for the Arteon include SE, SEL, SEL Premium, and a sporty-ish R-Line model with a few visual tweaks. An Audi A7–esque hatchback with stylish curves, the Arteon looks far more attractive than the bland Passat mid-size sedan both inside and out, and it offers far more luxury features. It's also considerably more powerful than the Passat, which comes with a 174-hp turbo 2.0-liter four-cylinder and is front-wheel drive only.

We don't know pricing for the Arteon yet, as that will come closer to its on-sale date a few months from now. Our expectation is that it will start in the mid-$30,000 range, with better-equipped models topping $40,000.

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