VW has announced that the Arteon, its newest model sedan, won’t launch in the U.S. market in 2018 as originally planned.
The issue, according to Volkswagen, has to do with the vehicle’s ability to meet global emissions standards – but it’s not because of any emissions-related scandal. The automaker says there is a tremendous backlog in the certification process and the company is simply waiting its turn.
The 2019 Arteon is intended to replace the recently discontinued Volkswagen CC and is now scheduled for an early ’19 arrival on the U.S. market. The company described its fastback model as “part automobile, part sculpture” and aims to compete with higher-end sedans like those produced by its luxury counterpart Audi.
The delay could make an impact, as Consumer Reports is warning consumers that waiting on a new vehicle purchase could increase costs. Between tariff threats potentially adding to new vehicle costs and interest rates bumping up incrementally, it could get more expensive for buyers who wait.
A recently published report by the outfit said that, while they couldn’t predict exactly when prices would go up, there was a fair amount of uncertainty in the auto market of the future.
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