Imagine, driving a European car that is sleek, sophisticated and
proven – in a new shape. Add comfort, panache and economy to the
package and you have the makings of a splendid machine: the Volkswagen
CC.
CC stands for Comfort Coupé – but, it’s no coupe.
The
CC represents is a shameless copy of the Mercedes Benz CLS’s silhouette
and there is nothing wrong with that. It is a successful look that
requires Volkswagen to make some interesting changes to the Volkswagen
Passat (which the CC is based on). By maintaining a continuous arch
front to back and eliminating window pillars, the look is kind of
coupe-like.
The Volkswagen CC is perched on a 106.7 inch
wheelbase and has front McPherson struts with triangular wishbones,
coil springs and telescopic self-leveling shock absorbers with
stabilizer bar. The rear suspension is a fully independent four-link
suspension with coil springs, telescopic shock absorbers and stabilizer
bar. This is one of the best suspension set-ups in the business for
front-wheel-drive biased vehicles.
The
tested Volkswagen CC Sport is the front-drive (FWD) base model with a
200 horsepower, turbocharged 4-cylinder engine that makes 207 lbs feet
of torque. The Volkswagen CC Sport comes with a sweet shifting 6-speed
manual transmission. The 6-speed manual and 2.0 liter amalgamation
permit the Volkswagen CC Sport to go from 0 to 60 in 6.9 seconds and
achieve a first-rate 21 mpg city/31 mpg highway.
With the
6-speed Tiptronic® automatic transmission, the 0 to 60 times swell to
7.4 seconds and attains 19 mpg city/29 mpg highway. These numbers are
manufacturer’s claims; my numbers were close (except my 22 mpg combined
while driving like a fool).
Thank god the brakes are damn good.
The
gem of this layout is the 200 horsepower, 207 lbs ft of torque, 2.0
liter, turbocharged 4-cylinder engine. Essentially, this is the same
ubiquitous motor that powers the GTI and Tiguan among others. With the
exception of initial lag off the line, once spooled up, the little
engine really pulls. I love clicking through the 6-speed manual and
hearing the muffled growl of the 2.0. Very pleasing to the ear I dare
say.
I
absolutely love the interior’s look. Having created a fine balance
between Audi superiority and basic Volkswagen sheik, the interior is a
very inviting place. My tester had the 2-tone beige on black “V-Tex”
leatherette seating with great looking matte chrome interior trim. It’s
not as comfy as leather, but felt fine in my estimation. As for seat
comfort, I am a big guy and felt the seatback to be a hair thin for my
shoulders (tailors hate fitting me); still I found a comfortable
position and enjoyed the sightlines and visual stimulation of every
angle of the interior.
The back seats are built only for two and
THIS upset me. You want your business machine to have comfortable
seating for 3, right? This confounded me until I realized that
Volkswagen still builds the Passat sedan and this is how they can keep
the sales of the CC and Passat somewhat separate. I suppose you can
think of the CC’s interior as a luxury place for 4. If you ask me, they
should ditch the Passat shape and make all Passat models look like the
CC. Still, the rear seats fold down and the trunk holds about the same
vast cargo capacity as the Passat.
Another irritant for me (which
I must get used to dealing with Audi and Volkswagen) is the lack of a
real handbrake. The electronic one works fine and saves space; however,
I prefer the old fashioned unit for performance reasons. I feel that
Volkswagen should offer a navigation system standard to sweeten the CC
deal.
Driving
the Volkswagen CC is rather similar to driving the Passat. It is a
firm, secure ride that is fun in the corners and smooth on the highway.
The CC is an excellent driving combination/compromise to be sure. The
snout of the CC is long and the ride height is rather low, meaning snow
and muck might be an issue. If you get the 4Motion Volkswagen CC
(standard with a 280 horsepower V6) snow will be easier to traverse;
granted – it will be in excess of 40K.
As it stands, the
performance, image, looks, feel and economy of the Volkswagen CC Sport
represents an extremely good buy at $27,000+ for seekers of European
grace.
Psssst…. That’s cheaper than a base model Volkswagen Passat!
Automotive media, racing, vehicle evaluation, wrecking yards, and car
sales are just a part of Nathan Adlen’s vehicular past. He writes out
of high octane passion! To read more reviews by Nathan Adlen or just to
enjoy more of excellent writing please visit him on at his examiner.com
page HERE. Photos by: N.D.
