Volkswagen Passat CC: Stylish 4-Door Coupe

Motoring Channel Staff - 14/January/2008

Detroit, America — Volkswagen stunned show goers at the Detroit 2008 Motor Show with the launch of the Passat CC, in an audacious move by one of Europe's largest automakers.

Beating BMW to the punch by releasing a 4-door coupe along the lines of the alluring Mercedes-Benz CLS, Volkswagen has already given the new model the green light - it will be coming to a highway near you.

Volkswagen has gone on the record saying "The core markets are North America, Western Europe and Japan. The Passat CC, built in the German Volkswagen plant in Emden, will initially be launched in the second quarter of the year [2008] in Europe and then from the fourth quarter in the USA and Canada and later Japan."

The addition of the Japanese market means that right-hand drive models will be manufactured, which bodes very well for an Australian introduction of the car.

As one of the largest models in its range, the new Passat CC is being touted as 'anything but mainstream' by VW, but if the price is right and people like what they see this could be a huge seller for the German marque.

Based on the medium-sized Volkswagen Passat platform, the Passat CC has a passing resemblance to the Mercedes-Benz CLS-Class, with a curvaceous roof line and elegant body contours. 

It's got a glass roof so passengers can look at the clouds, and will offer the kind of high-tech luxury features you'd expect from BMW and Lexus, including a number of world-firsts claims VW:

Lane Assist: This active lane keeping system on the Passat CC automatically counter-steers as soon as the Passat CC leaves its lane unintentionally; a genuine gain in convenience and safety.

 Park Assist: Another high-end technology is the "Park Assist" parking assistance system. It automatically guides the Passat CC into a parking space at the push of a button, not unlike the Lexus LS 460L. The driver no longer needs to steer in this case, but instead just control the throttle and brakes.

 Dynamic Drive Control: The car's new Dynamic Drive Control (DDC) chassis control system combines the sportiness of a coupé and the comfort of a top sedan in one car. In parallel to tuning the suspension's damping characteristic, the power steering system is controlled too. "DDC" offers the three programs "Normal", "Sport" and "Comfort".

 ACC Automatic Distance Control: Think of this as radar-based cruise control. When "ACC" is activated, the Passat CC automatically brakes and accelerates within a speed range input by the car driver beforehand. Thanks to a system called "Front Scan", the system also avoids frontal collisions. It uses a radar sensor to monitor the distance to other vehicles in traffic in front of the Passat CC. In advance of certain situations, "Front Scan" preventively places the brakes in a preconditioned state, thereby performing a stopping distance reduction function.

 Climate Control: Climate control is nothing new, but the VW Passat CC will feature active climate seats, cooling occupants via tiny vents in the leather seats. Until now this feature was reserved for the Phaeton luxury sedan.

Don't be fooled by the badge folks - this will be one of Volkswagen's most luxurious cars.

"The new Volkswagen embraces differences. It is a coupé, yet has four doors; it offers supreme comfort whilst at the same time oozing pure dynamism. Its sporty interior is uncompromising yet spacious," boasts VW.

The European car maker says the Passat CC is positioned in the "premium range of mid-class cars, in this case the sporty sedans and coupés". It measures 4.8 meters long (30mm longer than the standard Passat), sits 50mm lower than its stablemates and shares no body panels with the normal Passat model.

The body work is all new and provides Volkswagen with a trendy flagship model for the Passat range. According to the German car maker, its identifying characteristics are the coupé design with a smooth, curving roofline and and "redesigned bodywork" that "captivates with its silhouette of fluid lines".

Volkswagen has also paid an inordinate amount of attention to the execution of the exterior design, which suggests this will be one of the company's more expensive products. The car maker says these include "small details that have tremendous impact" such as new guide system for the side windows and the frameless coupé doors. Simply put, they produce a flush surface so the wind doesn't swirl as the car cuts through the air while driving, increasing the visual aesthetic while lowering wind noise.

Power will come from Volkswagen's current range of class-leading engines, which are also used by Audi in some instances.

The range will comprise of both diesel and petrol 4- and 6-cylinder engines, with outputs ranging from 103kW (140hp) to 220kW (300hp). 

One of the first VW Passat CC models on offer will be the 1.8-litre TSI engine, a turbo petrol mill with 118kW (160hp) and 250Nm. The most powerful engine will be the direct injected 3.6-litre petrol V6, worth 220kW (300hp). There is also likely to be an 'R' version of the Passat CC in a couple of years time to appeal to the performance-oriented drivers.

Gearbox options will include Volkswagen's second generation dual clutch semi-auto DSG, now with 7-speeds instead of six. Both front-wheel drive and all-wheel drive versions will be offered, depending on the market.

When the VW Passat CC goes on sale later in 2008, it will also offer a newly designed Mobility Tyre System. According to Volkswagen, car drivers experience a flat tire every 100,000 kilometers, but the Passat CC is expected to increase this mark to 500,000 kilometers. This is because the Mobility Tyre System uses a highly flexible rubber mixture encapsulates the penetrating object, such as a nail, or a shard of glass, and keeps the tire sealed. 

Other safety features for the Passat CC include up to eight airbags, ESP and "an extremely high-strength body" says Volkswagen.

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