Volkswagen hasn’t offered a wagon in America since the Golf SportWagen and Golf Alltrack were killed in 2019, so it’s not surprising an Arteon Shooting Brake recently caught the attention of a CarScoops reader in Arizona.

Nick was traveling through Chandler when he noticed the wagon, which has never been offered for sale in the United States.  In fact, it’s a relatively recent addition to the company’s lineup as it debuted in 2020 alongside the facelifted sedan.

It’s not immediately clear what this Arteon Shooting Brake was doing in Arizona, but the model appears to be sporting a manufacturer plate given that it begins with “MT.”  We can also see an antenna and trailer hitch, which is a common sight on Volkswagen Group prototypes.  Nick added the occupants appeared to be testing something related to the infotainment system, but it’s not clear what.

More: New VW Arteon Shooting Brake Debuts Alongside Facelifted Sedan

That leaves us with more questions than answers and that’s before factoring in reports that the Arteon is living on borrowed time.  While nothing is official, the model is expected to be discontinued next year and replaced by the ID.7.  All of this makes the Shooting Brake an odd test subject, but seeing forbidden fruit in the flesh is always fun.

In Germany, the Arteon Shooting Brake starts at €47,270 ($50,174) and features a 2.0-liter TDI engine with 148 hp (110 kW / 150 PS).  Customers can also opt for a 2.0-liter TSI engine with 187 hp (140 kW / 190 PS) or the 316 hp (235 kW / 320 PS) Arteon R Shooting Brake.

Thanks to Nick for sharing the photos!