Swoopy, sleek Passat
01/12/08 15:11 Filed in: Road
tests
The Volkswagen Passat CC. The first question is
trying to work out what it is and why they have produced it.
Despite the CC tag this is definitely not a coupé cabriolet. This Passat – just like the mainstream version – is a full four-door. If pressed, apparently Volkswagen will tell you that CC means “comfort coupé”. Sure, the Passat does have a swooping coupé style roof line and frameless door glass front and rear.
So, why have they produced this version? It can’t come cheap as every external panel is new. Yet, looked at in pure black and white, it seems to offer puzzlingly similar package. Four-doors, practical space for four passengers and a large boot for their luggage.
What it really comes down to is style. The CC is definitely more stylish than the everyday Passat. Think of it as Volkswagen’s answer to the Mercedes-Benz CLS. The distinctive looks go a lot further than the sleeker roof. There’s the more stylish front and rear treatment and the whole car is different in its dimensions – 31mm longer and 50mm wider than a Passat saloon.
Volkswagen must be betting on a market for a stylish option in their range and, no doubt, they are also hoping that some of the CC’s more chic image will give a ‘halo’ boost to the mainstream Passat.
The extra style doesn’t come with much loss of practicality. Certainly this is strictly a four-seater as the centre of the back seat has a storage area sunk into the cushion. I did have concerns about how much of a sacrifice there would be in headroom, but the truth is that most people will fit comfortably and I found the headroom acceptable if not generous.
My test car was the Passat CC GT 2.0 TDI CR 140 PS to give it its full snappy title. Considering it is a two-litre turbo-diesel the performance was quite satisfying with the 0-62 mph yardstick despatched in 9.8 seconds. Better still it is a refined power unit with very little diesel noise, even when cold.
Although it has excellent ride quality, the CC also feels taut enough to inspire confidence on twisty country roads. This is no doubt due in no small measure to the ACC system which is standard on this model. It tunes the suspension to the conditions, with the option of manually selecting ‘sport’, ‘comfort’ or ‘normal’. The suspension is also about 15mm lower than the standard Passat and I did notice the sound of grass rustling along the underside on the unsurfaced road up to our house.
One of the other bits of tech on this model is the electric handbrake which works with a quick prod of the switch, as long as you have your foot on the brakes at the time. It took a little working out to get fully familiar and, in any case, I usually dread finding an electronic handbrake on a manual gearbox car.
But, once I had learned to trust it, the Passat CC has a hill hold system that seems to work well most times. Brake to a halt and the system will hold the car, facing downhill or uphill, until you declutch and press the accelerator.
I wonder how a driving examiner would check the hill start abilities of a learner in this? I suppose you might be asked to turn off the hill hold, but then how on earth would you hold the car on the brake?
As well as good performance, the CC scored well on economy. I worked out that I was averaging around 40 mpg on a mixture of country and city roads on my daily commute. But on country touring with a bit of restraint it would be feasible to get 50 mpg or more.
At £22,770 the Passat CC GT 2.0 TDI CR 140 PS proved to be very satisfying transport thanks to its comfort, the quality feel of the driving environment and the general refinement. It handles well, although perhaps not quite so sharp and rewarding as some of the opposition.
Is it worth paying the premium for the CC over the saloon. Well, that’s really your decision, I think it looks good but what value do you put on appearances?
Despite the CC tag this is definitely not a coupé cabriolet. This Passat – just like the mainstream version – is a full four-door. If pressed, apparently Volkswagen will tell you that CC means “comfort coupé”. Sure, the Passat does have a swooping coupé style roof line and frameless door glass front and rear.
So, why have they produced this version? It can’t come cheap as every external panel is new. Yet, looked at in pure black and white, it seems to offer puzzlingly similar package. Four-doors, practical space for four passengers and a large boot for their luggage.
What it really comes down to is style. The CC is definitely more stylish than the everyday Passat. Think of it as Volkswagen’s answer to the Mercedes-Benz CLS. The distinctive looks go a lot further than the sleeker roof. There’s the more stylish front and rear treatment and the whole car is different in its dimensions – 31mm longer and 50mm wider than a Passat saloon.
Volkswagen must be betting on a market for a stylish option in their range and, no doubt, they are also hoping that some of the CC’s more chic image will give a ‘halo’ boost to the mainstream Passat.
The extra style doesn’t come with much loss of practicality. Certainly this is strictly a four-seater as the centre of the back seat has a storage area sunk into the cushion. I did have concerns about how much of a sacrifice there would be in headroom, but the truth is that most people will fit comfortably and I found the headroom acceptable if not generous.
My test car was the Passat CC GT 2.0 TDI CR 140 PS to give it its full snappy title. Considering it is a two-litre turbo-diesel the performance was quite satisfying with the 0-62 mph yardstick despatched in 9.8 seconds. Better still it is a refined power unit with very little diesel noise, even when cold.
Although it has excellent ride quality, the CC also feels taut enough to inspire confidence on twisty country roads. This is no doubt due in no small measure to the ACC system which is standard on this model. It tunes the suspension to the conditions, with the option of manually selecting ‘sport’, ‘comfort’ or ‘normal’. The suspension is also about 15mm lower than the standard Passat and I did notice the sound of grass rustling along the underside on the unsurfaced road up to our house.
One of the other bits of tech on this model is the electric handbrake which works with a quick prod of the switch, as long as you have your foot on the brakes at the time. It took a little working out to get fully familiar and, in any case, I usually dread finding an electronic handbrake on a manual gearbox car.
But, once I had learned to trust it, the Passat CC has a hill hold system that seems to work well most times. Brake to a halt and the system will hold the car, facing downhill or uphill, until you declutch and press the accelerator.
I wonder how a driving examiner would check the hill start abilities of a learner in this? I suppose you might be asked to turn off the hill hold, but then how on earth would you hold the car on the brake?
As well as good performance, the CC scored well on economy. I worked out that I was averaging around 40 mpg on a mixture of country and city roads on my daily commute. But on country touring with a bit of restraint it would be feasible to get 50 mpg or more.
At £22,770 the Passat CC GT 2.0 TDI CR 140 PS proved to be very satisfying transport thanks to its comfort, the quality feel of the driving environment and the general refinement. It handles well, although perhaps not quite so sharp and rewarding as some of the opposition.
Is it worth paying the premium for the CC over the saloon. Well, that’s really your decision, I think it looks good but what value do you put on appearances?