2. The most frugal version of Volkswagen's Passat CC might
just take the title of "the sleek sedan with a coupe-like
styling" from the Hyundai Sonata with its innocuous, slab-
sided exterior which is undeniably elegant. However apart
from a new styling on the grille and additional electronic
whizz bangs, the 2013 Volkswagen CC might not be largely
different from its predecessors. The car still holds its
economical position with even lower pricing for American
models without compromising on comfort, reliability and the
desire for adventure that arises in enthusiastic drivers
sometimes.
3. Excess baggage
No longer referred to as the "Passat," the Volkswagen
Group decided to drop the name and go with "CC" alone.
This is not a wonder if you are living in the Eurozone
where everything is being cut off to deal with the
economic crisis, but a name drop wouldn't offer much
reprieve - maybe they would have replaced the leather
with the remains of the California wildfire that managed
to take up much of Fisker Karma's interior. However if
you have much "real baggage" fear not, for the car's boot
size is large enough as well as the interior which is
elucidated below.
4. Interior
If you have been inside a Volkswagen Group vehicle before,
then you understand the instant inviting attitude of the
dashboard even before you start the car - the VW Passat CC
is no different. The leather seats are comfortable and
seemingly luxurious, with handsome appointments here and
there for a more "touchy" feel in its competition against the
highly priced Mercedes CLS. The plastics are soft to the
touch, the typefaces admirably concise and the entire cabin
simple but distinctly attractive to the simple but attractive
man. Head-room might not rival that of the fifth avenue
Mercedes CLS but there is enough leg-room for a dwarf's
party.
5. Infotainment
I have always been on the front seats for VW Passat's
support but when it comes to entertainment I can only
hung my head. Bad resolution on the 5-inch touch-screen
(400 by 200 pixels), no voice command anywhere in this
car, no USB plug for non Apple devices and the audio
player is the very basic CD player with AM/FM Sirius
radio only spiced up with iDevice integration. The only
commendable component is Bluetooth audio streaming and
the 600-watt 10-speaker Dynaudio system in the VR6.
The navigation system is low end with minute improvement
on screen size in the Lux and V6 trims from 5.0 to 6.5-
inches and a colour LCD in the VR6.
6. Road performance
The Volkswagen Passat CC's 2.0L TDI engine with 139
horsepower and a combined economy of 60 mpg will leave you
almost fully satisfied if you are not going for a road race.
The good mileage is as a result of VW's BlueMotion fuel
saving technology using an intelligent alternator that makes
Prius' ETCS-i yesterday's news. The gearbox is a 6-speed
manual that transmits with nicely spaced ratios for driving
efficiency but again, not for road racing! The steering wheel
though is well weighted and the ride is very quiet but higher-
powered versions of 158 bhp and 207 bhp are a bit noisier.
The ride height is a bit lower than in the standard Passat but
most parts can be interchanged. The Sport trim however
lacks DSG transmission that begins with the Sport plus trim
and is more ideal in traffic but a bit high on the fuel bills.
7. Driver engagement is not offered as the ride remains
housed in traditional austerity and it will take a lot of hard
work to achieve a chassis balance as accorded by BMW.
Jagged surfaces are a bit responsive making it non ideal
for off-road and this is worsened by the 18-inch wheels
which "The Telegraph" describes as "deleterious." The
car's lane departure system also does not always pick up on
road markings and the boot switch activated by feet
movement beneath the bumper is highly inefficient. It is
yet to be understood what VW was thinking to suggest
opening the boot by flipping your feet under the rear
bumper, what is known as "air kicking" but if this is the
direction innovations are taking us I bet we are yet to see
more.
