VW Passat CC: Calling a spade a sedan: We like the Passat CC even more than the other Passat sedan

June 3, 2008


There are legends in the marketing world, wizards capable of making consumers believe, among other things, that eating nothing but pork fat can make you skinny and that a four-door car can be called a coupe.

We can't speak to the efficacies of an all-lard diet, but we do know this: If it has four doors, if these doors open conventionally and if, once open, those doors reveal at least four full seats, it's a sedan. Period.

That said, the Volkswagen Passat Comfort Coupe, or CC, is one fine sedan, in looks and in action.


The urge to call the Passat CC and cars of its ilk coupes is understandable. In profile, the VW strikes a coupelike silhouette, with a two-inch-lower overall height (at 56.0 inches) compared with its standard Passat stablemate. Its fastbacklike roofline, which gently slopes to the trailing edge of its rear decklid, might pass for any bona fide two-door's, be it an Infiniti G37, an Aston Martin DB9 or even the VW Group's own Audi TT.

It even has a more hunkered-down stance, with a 0.6-inch-lower ride height than the regular Passat. It's slightly longer, too, making it look extra-lithe and lean--even, dare we say it, sporty. It doesn't hurt, either, that it is 1.4 inches wider, with more pronounced wheel flares and go-fast creases highlighting each flank.

Uncoupelike are the accommodations, which, even in the back seats, feel spacious.


Only the tallest folks will feel cheated in the headroom department; with the front seats pushed to their most rearward position, there's still plenty of legroom in back.

Power comes from one of two engines: a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder producing 200 hp and 207 lb-ft of torque, mated to either a six-speed manual or a six-speed automatic transmission, and a 3.6-liter FSI narrow-angle V6 turning out 280 hp and 265 lb-ft of torque, shuttled through a standard six-speed automatic. VW's 4Motion all-wheel-drive system is optional on V6-equipped cars.

We didn't have the opportunity to drive U.S.-spec models, which, when the car arrives here sometime this fall, will come in Sport, Luxury and VR6 trims. But sampling both 158-hp 1.8T and 295-hp 3.6-liter Euro-spec versions reveals a drive character similar to that of current Passats. Handling is acceptable though hardly sports-car-sharp, with nicely weighted steering that responds well to inputs, even if the feel is a bit on the muddy side.


Altogether, the nod goes to the Passat CC over the current and conventionally shaped model, despite the fact that on paper, it's hard to distinguish between the two without visual aids. The extra style of the CC, however, will carry a price. Expect the base 2.0T with manual transmission to start at about $27,000, a $3,000 premium over the standard model with which it will share showroom floor space

That's a big chunk of change to slap down for what is essentially, in all but looks, the same car. Buyers this fall will tell us if they think the style is worth the extra cash.

Natalie Neff
