The Volkswagen Arteon launched in the UAE late last year, and while we’re big fans of its sleek looks and high-quality interior, we always wondered if it was sort of aimed at the wrong people.

You see, the Arteon was pretty expensive at launch. For one with decent specs, you’d be looking at around AED 200,000 – before VAT. Not that you didn’t get quite a lot for your money. In any spec, the Arteon looks great, comes with a fabulous interior, and is powered by a 280 bhp, 2.0-litre turbocharged engine driving all four wheels. So it’s quick, too.

But for that money, you could be looking at a lesser-powered Audi or BMW of roughly the same size.

So Volkswagen has had a bit of a rethink, and has come to the market with this – the new base-level Arteon, which is powered by a 190 bhp 2.0-litre engine.

Performance figures haven’t been given, but we’d reckon on an ample 0-100 km/h time of around 8 seconds. More than plenty in car like the Arteon, which, despite its killer looks, is much more about comfort than performance.

And the best part is that, with this engine, prices now start at AED 139,207 – including VAT. Suddenly, that looks like quite good value for what is a pretty premium saloon.

The 190 bhp Arteon is now available at showrooms across the UAE.