THE BONNET LINE, A NEW BODY SET-UP
If you look at a car carefully, the designers’ styling intentions can be grasped by focusing on the profile of certain volumes. The angle of the surfaces or the fluidity with which a panel slides around the wheel arch are choices that determine the idiom of a model.
On the Volkswagen Arteon, the gap of a few millimetres between bonnet and mudguards depicts a surprising inclination towards sportiness: the front volume, which is already lowered, distances itself from the albeit prestigious universe of the big saloons, to move nearer to the promises of coupé aggressiveness. This is due to the contour line which, as happens for a big “lid”, disappears from the front view and plunges into the sides, giving the muzzle unity and visual width. “This is one of the biggest bonnets the VW Group has ever made. When it opens, you can even see the wheel housings, as in a real coupe”, explains Tobias Sühlmann, head of exterior design. “To make it we needed new industrial equipment, not an easy task: a battle won by us style people.”
