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VW CC 1.8 TSI

Preview: VW CC

With the mid-cycle upgrade the name Passat CC has been eliminated but the car remains the best looking Volkswagen in the current model portfolio. And it doesn’t score points just for appearance. (Stefan Grundhoff , 17.01.2012)

The one to watch

Almost every model made by Volkswagen achieves success. When it comes to workmanship, motorizations, drivetrains and design few manufacturers have made as few mistakes as Volkswagen. No wonder, then, that models like Golf, Tiguan, Sharan and Passat are best-sellers, not to mention the Touareg or the Polo. But a candidate sometimes overlooked in the portfolio of the Wolfsburg car maker could be the one to watch. Although the VW Passat CC lost part of its name in the latest mid-cycle upgrade it gained in terms of elegance and equipment standard.

: The VW CC offers enhanced travelling comfort. Additional sound insulation has been installed and changes to the underbody ensure there is reduced motor and wind noise. Not even the chug of the two-litre diesel disturbs the occupants now.

Success in spite of naming fiasco

If only the concern had not given its coupé version of the VW Passat the unfortunate designation VW Passat CC. This naming meant that the four-door coupé sedan was inevitably associated with the very successful but fundamentally boring Passat range. The image of the best-seller, the everyday motor car for countless drivers and for so many families, was more dominant and swamped the identity of the much more appealing ‘Comfort Coupé’. In spite of this there have been 320 thousand units sold over four years. That this figure is twenty thousand more than originally predicted is partly due to the late developing popularity of the VW Passat CC in the United States. In that market the model has become in the past two years a sought-after lifestyle coupé in the affordable mid-class segment. It would have been a bold and risky move by Volkswagen to introduce a completely new model name in the middle of a product cycle. And so they simply consigned ‘Passat’ to the waste basket.

: The car impresses with plenty of room inside for the occupants and a boot able to take 532 litres of their baggage.

A bridge to the premium segment

The newly dubbed VW CC was ill served by the naming kerfuffle. The auto is 4.8 metres long and has graceful lines as well as having all the characteristics demanded in a car for intense everyday usage. A four-seater, the car impresses with plenty of room inside for the occupants and a boot able to take 532 litres of their baggage. Not much more can be demanded and it is rare that such a capacious boot is so well integrated into the styling of a sedan model. The appearance of the CC has been improved with the new front fascia now with Xenon headlights as standard and the modified rear end with LED reversing lights. The result is an increase in elegance as the car’s profile proves. “With this design we have built a bridge to the premium segment”, say product manager Anna Trauter, “The new CC is positioned between the Passat and the Phaeton.” This claim is underscored by the inclusion of features like the air conditioned comfort seats optionally with massage function, dimming window glass and the tailgate operated by a simple foot movement under the car’s rear skirt.

: Some of the assistant systems are highly refined. As standard there is fatigue detection and automatic braking in city traffic. Options include lane changing and lane holding systems, traffic sign recognition, parking assist and distance and cruise control. No other auto in this segment has as much to offer in terms of safety technology.

Excellent safety tech

The VW CC offers enhanced travelling comfort. Additional sound insulation has been installed and changes to the underbody ensure there is reduced motor and wind noise. Not even the chug of the two-litre diesel disturbs the occupants now. As well as numerous assistant systems on board the CC, the high-tech front wind-screen is deserving of special mention. A special protective foil on the glass adds not only further sound insulation but also the absorption of ultra-violet rays and the foil can even be heated. This means that there is no longer any visible wiring for the windscreen heating function. Some of the assistant systems are highly refined. As standard there is fatigue detection and automatic braking in city traffic. Options include lane changing and lane holding systems, traffic sign recognition, parking assist and distance and cruise control. No other auto in this segment has as much to offer in terms of safety technology.

: The entry level version is the CC 1.8 TSI with 160 horsepower and a maximum of 250 Nm of torque.It reaches a hundred kilometres an hour in 8.5 seconds and reaches a top speed of 223.

Good entry level power

There are few surprises in respect of the motorizations offered. In the past the best-seller in Germany was the VW Passat CC 2.0 TDI with 170 horsepower. It is unlikely that this will change, especially since there will be a version with all-wheel-drive introduced in the course of the current year. However the entry level variant is also a good choice… the CC 1.8 TSI with four cylinders and 1.8 litres displacement producing 160 horsepower. Thanks to turbo-charging this is a potent mill even at low revs. Between 1,500 and 4,200 RPM there is a maximum of 250 Nm of torque at the driver’s disposal. This means that very little gear changing with the standard six-speed transmission is called for in city traffic. The front-wheel-driven auto pushes to a hundred kilometres an hour in 8.5 seconds and reaches a top speed of 223. Even better for this elegant cruiser is the seven-stage DSG transmission available as an optional extra for 2.200 Euros.

: From the beginning of February the new VW CC models will be in the showrooms where the most affordable will have a price tag of 31,800 Euros.

Starting from 31,800 Euros

The perfect version for people who do a lot of driving will be the VW CC 2.0 TDI priced at 35,100 Euros, delivering 170 horsepower, a maximum of 350 Nm of torque, capable of reaching 227 kilometres an hour and demanding and average of 4.9 litres of diesel per hundred kilometres driven. From the beginning of February the new VW CC models will be in the showrooms where the most affordable at 31,800 Euros will be the CC 1.8 TSI. The top model with full equipment, the 3.6 V6 4Motion will at 43,275 Euros be a moderately priced alternative to rivals like the Mercedes CLS.

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With the mid-cycle upgrade the name Passat CC has been eliminated but the car remains the best looking Volkswagen in the current model portfolio. Picture 1 of 14

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UMFRAGE

What do you think of the upgraded CC?

Boring, so boring! VW should stay with compacts!

67%
I find it very good indeed!

33 %

COMMENTS

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