2009 Volkswagen Passat CC review

By J.P. Vettraino

On Sale: Fall 2008
Expected Pricing: $30,000-$39,000

Volkswagen is introducing a new four-door sedan this fall with sporty coupe-like styling.

It's not unreasonable to think of the 2009 Volkswagen Passat CC as a Mercedes-Benz CLS for the masses, or at least for a bigger audience than any $70,000 car like the CLS can muster. Volkswagen hopes the CC will generate the same emotional appeal as the CLS, with similar ambience and features for about half the price.

The Passat CC will hit VW showrooms before the end of 2008, but the idea it expresses isn't exactly new. Since at least the 1930s, various automakers have attempted to build pragmatic four-door sedans with the racier, curvaceous look and sex appeal of a classic two-door sport coupe. This sedan-as-coupe theme was most recently revitalized by Mercedes, with launch of the gorgeous, well-received CLS in 2005. It seems to be gaining traction with cars such as Jaguar's new XF sedan and, now, the upcoming Passat CC.

To create the CC, VW designers lengthened, widened and lowered the standard Passat sedan slightly (wheelbase remains the same), spreading its footprint for a broader, more aggressive stance. The CC's roofline is even more dramatic, flowing in a constant, fairly flat radius from the base of the windshield to its short rear deck. The CC does have a middle roof pillar (a B-pillar, in industry parlance), but it's blacked out and nearly invisible from a distance between the darkened windows. The side windows have no frames, which is more typical of a coupe or convertible than a four-door sedan.

The CC's front end shows more depth than the standard Passat's, with a big two-bar grille between trapezoidal headlight clusters. The rear end sports large taillights and the slight lip of a spoiler styled into the trunk lid.

In our estimation, the CC, which was unveiled at Detroit's North American International Auto Show in January 2008, makes a very handsome car.

The primary difference between the CC and the standard Passat is the look, but VW says the CC will also serve as a platform to introduce some of its newest technologies.

The CC will be the first car in the world with an active lane-hold safety feature. While several automakers now offer systems that warn the driver if the car is inadvertently weaving out of its lane, the CC's lane-hold system will actually correct the steering to keep it on its designated track. Its Dynamic Drive Control automatic suspension does more that vary ride firmness according to road conditions or driver selection; it also adjusts steering effort and response.

Engines are the same as those offered in the standard Passat. The base Passat CC engine is a 200-hp turbocharged four-cylinder with either a six-speed manual or six-speed Tiptronic automatic transmission. The upgrade is a 3.6-liter V6, generating 280 horsepower and 266 pound-feet of torque through the six-speed automatic. VW's 4motion all-wheel-drive system will be optional with the V6.

Inside, the CC seats only four, with a center console between the rear seats rather than a flat, padded surface with a seatbelt. Those rear seats are more heavily sculpted than the typical rear bench, with more prominent bolstering like a front bucket seat.

Cars with a graceful, flowing roofline like the Passat CC typically lose some rear-seat headroom, and the CC is no different. Still, a 6-foot, 2-inch male was able to sit comfortably in the left-rear seat with the driver's seat adjusted for a 5-foot, 9-inch driver, hair just brushing the headliner in back.

The CC's trunk isn't the deepest, and thanks to its short rear deck the opening is smaller than we'd expect in a conventional sedan of similar size. Yet the CC's cargo area stretches a long way toward the front of the car, and overall volume is impressive. It appears the trunk will accommodate at least a couple of large golf bags, placed lengthwise with the bottom toward the seatback and the club heads at the rear bumper.

The interior will look familiar to anyone who's sat in the current Passat, but the CC will also offer several new features inside. The optional Panorama sunroof is huge, measuring 30 inches long and 44 inches wide and basically filling the entire roof between the top of the windshield and the B-pillar. The CC will also offer a new automated park-assist system and radar-guided active cruise control. All seats can be equipped with internal heating and cooling. There's an optional air-conditioned center-console compartment and a choice of wood or brushed aluminum trim.

The Passat CC should be widely available to buyers by Thanksgiving 2008, with prices a couple thousand dollars higher than a comparably equipped standard Passat sedan. Fully loaded, we'd anticipate the CC's retail price to fall a tick below $40,000.

Source By : http://nctd.com