Volkswagen Showcases Four New Concepts at SOWO in Georgia

Volkswagen has a bit of a reputation for providing some pretty boring concepts, but the four new concepts it brought to SOWO this hear are cool as hell. Volkswagen says they represent the tastes of Volkswagen enthusiasts, which isn’t exactly a good explanation of why there’s so much bright yellow. What we have here is a modified Golf R, Jetta R-Line, Tiguan R-Line, and an Arteon R-Line, all with their own special way of standing out that is quite intriguing and refreshing at the same time.

2018 Volkswagen Jetta R-Line SoCal Concept

The Jetta has some pretty big shoes to fill now that it’s made its evolutionary debut. As such, it’s not a big surprise we find it among these concepts, but it’s a bit lazy at the same time. It does have 19-inch wheels finished in the same color as the body, black window trim, black grille, and that cool pinstripe that leads to the Jetta lettering on the rear quarter. It gets a hint of the fluorescent yellow mentioned earlier on the mirrors caps and its spider-webbed across the gloss-black roof. A 3-inch suspension drop thanks to a KW coilover suspension system reminds us that the Jetta sits a bit higher than it really should.

2018 Volkswagen Arteon R-Line Highlight Concept

Of all the concepts that Volkswagen debuted today, the Arteon Highlight Concept is the laziest of all. It does, however, sport the most fluorescent of all the concepts (and probably more than all the other combined) thanks to a full body wrap. The mirrors, roof, grille, and intake trim are all done up in gloss black. It rolls on a set of 20-inch Vossen wheels that are glorified by the three-inch lower suspension. Volkswagen claims it’s a “prototype Coilover suspension,” but I wouldn’t expect to find it offered up as an option anytime soon.

2018 Volkswagen Golf R Abstract Concept

The Golf R Abstract Concept has an interesting body wrap that mixes the Fluorescent yellow with black and white. It has black trim all of the way around, including the air intakes in the front fascia, the mirrors, and the cladding around the windows. More importantly, it has a new pair of side skirts that are kind of hard to spot, to go with sport springs and a four-pipe exhaust system with blacked-out tips. There’s no word from Volkswagen how much the golf has been lowered, but it appears to have dropped by at least an inch or two. Then again, it’s riding on 20-inch ABT Sportsline wheels, so it could be much less.

2018 Volkswagen Tiguan R-Line Aero Concept

What’s the best way to increase interest in a model that’s struggling? Especially when it’s an SUV? Well, you take it to a place that attracts enthusiasts and make it as cool as possible. This is exactly what is going on with the second-gen Tiguan. It’s not doing the best here in the U.S., and after seeing this heavily modded concept, it looks like enthusiasts, paired with the overall interest in SUVs, could help turn things around. The first thing VW did here was slap a full body wrap with a matching Thule cargo box up top (it’s sporty with a hint of utility.) There are hints of that fluorescent yellow on the front fascia, above the grill, on the mirrors, and the central hub of each wheel. And, where the other concepts got a coil-over setup, VW gave this concept an Air Lift Performance air suspension system with performance struts in the front and rear. Overall, the system has lowered the Tiguan by 4.8 inches. Sure, it kind of looks like an overgrown and bloated Golf but it’s pretty damn sporty at the same time. That lowered ride height is accented by a set of 20-inch monoblock wheels that are powder-coated in matte black.

Final Thoughts

Overall, I love these concepts, which is a very rare thing for me to say. Of course, smaller events like SOWO often bring out better concepts as they really need to make a splash. That Tiguan concept is off the chain, though, and I dig that Golf R-Line concept as well. There’s just something about the bloated, Golf look of that Tiguan that really grabs me. As far as the Arteon and the Jetta goes, it’s clear to see what models VW wanted to draw the most attention to, and it wasn’t them. The Jetta concept certainly proves that the standard version of the Jetta just sits way higher than it should, though. In the end, this is a good showing for Volkswagen, and other automakers should probably take note because this is how you do modified concepts. They are appealing, attractive, and despite the fact that two of them are a little lazy (It almost looks like VW ran out of money after the Golf and Tiguan) it all equals out in the end. Stay tuned for full reviews of all four concepts in the coming week!