VW Passat CC

Volkswagen has pumped a whole load of sex appeal into the Passat and created the CC, the latest entry into the descriptively-confused "four-door coupe" market. And as Damien O'Carroll finds out, they may well have created the most convincing one yet.

If you had to pick any one sedan in the world to turn into a sexy, svelte coupe-rooflined four-door — as is the current trend — then possibly the very last car you would choose would be the Volkswagen Passat.

This is meant as no disrespect to the Passat. From the moment it was created it embraced the role of workhorse. It is the German Camry. It doesn't stir the soul.

Well, meet the Passat that does all those things. And more.

The Passat CC flies against all expectations you may have of the model. It is extremely sexy. It looks sensational, and the best news in this country is that as well as the sensational looks, we also get the best possible powertrain, basically the same one that sits under the Passat R36 — a narrow-angle 3.6-litre V6 hooked up to VW's 4Motion all-wheel drive system with a brilliant 6-speed DSG transmission sitting somewhere in between.

VW in New Zealand see the Passat CC — which, despite virtually every other manufacturer using "CC" to denote a hardtop convertible, in this case stands for "Comfort Coupe" — as the second of the two branches at the top of the Passat tree. It works something like this: once you have progressed through the range to reach the Passat V6, you then get presented with a choice as to where you will go next: luxury or sport. The sport branch is represented by the Passat R36, while the CC now fulfils the luxury role, but definitely with high-performance flavour.

Drive it hard and the CC just feels planted. Despite having essentially the same bits underneath, the Passat CC feels like a far more grown up version of the more frantic R36. Which is no doubt exactly what VW in New Zealand were going for when they chose the specifications for the CC.

It probably has more than a little to do with Volkswagen's new trick: Dynamic Chassis Control, or DCC.

DCC gathers together the settings for the steering, electronic dampers and transmission and groups them into three modes: Sport, Normal and Comfort. It does all sorts of clever electronic things and the upshot is in Sport it firms up the suspension, adds a bit of manliness to the steering and speeds up gear shifts, while Comfort is obviously, umm... more comfortable and considerably softer.

Normal, on the other hand makes use of all the parameters, tailoring itself depending on how the driver is punting it.

There are simpler definitions available though: Sport is for fun, Normal is for everything else and Comfort is for people without a pulse.

 

Speaking of a pulse, the throbbing heart of the Passat CC is the wonderful narrow-angle 3.6-litre V6 engine that makes it a lusty and exhilarating performer. 220kW and 350Nm — the latter from as low as 2400rpm — make the Passat CC as willing to lug around town using the torque as it is to kick the metaphorical tar out of a series of corners.

While the engine whips the CC up to speed at a rate that will never fail to raise a smile the ever-brilliant 6-speed DSG dual clutch gearbox and 4Motion all-wheel drive system both conspire to keep the rate of forward motion equally pleasing through the corners. This car is an exceptional amount of fun for something that is supposed to be the "luxury" branch of the family tree.

All of this fun usually comes at a cost, however, and that cost is usually literal — ie: thrash it, and it will cost you at the pumps. But that is not so much the case in the Passat CC. The factory quoted combined fuel consumption figure of 10.1L/100km is immensely reasonable for a largish luxurious sedan with a 3.6-litre six-cylinder engine and four-wheel drive, but in the real world the Passat easily return less than that.

A quick several-hunderd kilometre trip consisting of a leisurely cruise down-country followed by a "spirited" nighttime back road drive back up to Auckland — plus the obligatory few hours sitting in traffic that the moving anywhere around said city requires — saw the Passat CC sitting on a frugal 9.3L/100km. It would almost be scary to think what it could get down to if you really tried...

Originally there was talk that the Passat CC's price would be hovering far nearer the $100K mark than it has actually landed in NZ for, and at $88,990 the Passat CC asks a $6,000 premium over the R36 sedan. Is it worth it? Most certainly...


Volkswagen Passat CC Specs

Price: $88,990

Engine: V6/3597cc, 220kW @ 6000rpm, 350Nm @ 2400rpm

Drivetrain: 6-speed automatic, all-wheel drive

Suspension: Front — macpherson strut, rear — independent

Tyre size: 235/40 R18

Brakes (F/R): Ventilated disc

Safety systems: ABS, EBD, BA

Electronic Stability: Yes

Airbags: 8

Performance (Manufacturer's claim)

0-100km/h: 5.6 seconds

Fuel consumption (combined): 10.1L/100km

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