This is a very expensive Volkswagen Arteon

Welcome to the Arteon R-Line Edition – a four-door Volkswagen saloon that costs the equivalent of almost £50,000 in its native Germany.

The 250-off special edition, which isn’t on sale in the UK (for the moment, anyway), might cost as much as a very well specified BMW 5 Series, but it at least has exclusivity on its side. And kit, lots and lots of kit. The R-Line Edition gets pretty much everything as standard, from black 20-inch alloys, to heated leather, the big infotainment system and a full suite of driver assistance and active safety tech.

As for engines, you get to choose between two petrols and two diesels. All get a seven-speed DSG gearbox. The most powerful, and therefore most interesting and expensive, is the 272bhp 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol with all-wheel drive.

The Arteon has always been an interesting thing – in that it doesn’t really look like any other VW. Click here to read the full review, and right here to read about what the Arteon is like to live with over six months.

Does VW’s flagship saloon (in Europe anyway. RIP Phaeton) have you questioning your desire for a big Merc, BMW or Audi?