Volkswagen Passat CC 2.0 TDI SEL
Maxabout Review
Smartest Four Door Coupe
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
After months of informed speculation, Volkswagen finally revealed its CLS-inspired Passat, dubbed the "CC." The four-door "coupe" is based off the Passat platform and carries over several of the standard sedan's cues, but the sleek shape of the plummeting C-pillar, shortened rear overhang and revised fascia make it considerably more upmarket. The windshield and the roofline are more steeply raked, and the body is longer (by 0.7 inch), lower (by 2.2 inches), and wider (by 1.3 inches). Though the wheelbase is same.
Besides the unique sheetmetal, the Passat CC has unique doors, seats, and instruments. The CC version shares about 50 percent of its parts with the original sedan. True to the coupe theme, the Passat CC has only two seats in back, with a small storage console and fold-down armrest in the middle. Unlike in a coupe, there’s actually plenty of legroom. Headroom isn’t as much of a compromise as the roofline would suggest and is far better than that of the Mercedes CLS. Passengers over six feet tall will be brushing the headliner, but anyone shorter will find plenty of comfort.
As one would expect considering the similarities, the Passat CC drives just like a Passat. The steering is sharp, if somewhat lacking in feel, and the suspension is taut but compliant over rough surfaces. There is a lot of the CLS throughout the Passat CC. In profile or at a three-quarter angle, nothing else on the road looks like the CC - except for the CLS. It's not just the dramatically lowered and backswept roofline either; check out the frameless doors of the CC. They're also found on the CLS. The panorama sunroof seems a production take on the concept CLS's all-glass roof.
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. Passat 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. Though it's long and low, the Passat CC drives small and sporty. The engine snarls when revved, and gets a bit thrashy as rpm builds. Visibility is good through the front and less compromised out of the rear windows than the roofline suggests. Though the C-pillar is impressive chunky, blind spots are covered by the fixed triangle of rear glass.
Starting the car involves sliding the smart key into a rectangular receiver near where a traditional key would be inserted. Pushing it all the way in turns the fob into a start button, and gets the engine firing and needles sweeping around clean, white lit gauges. So far, the feel is decidedly pretty sporty. 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. Overall, the Passat CC is a good compromise between style and practicality, especially if you don’t need to transport four passengers at once. It is expected that Volkswagen is going to launch the Passat CC in India in coming months to compete with the likes of Merecdes Benz CLS Class.