That any Volkswagen could be mistaken for a Mercedes-Benz — and that happened several times during my test of the 2009 Volkswagen CC — must be taken as good news for VW, which in the past has tried and failed to penetrate the luxury market.
Of course, with corporate cousin Audi firmly entrenched in the premium segment, the question of why VW feels it needs a luxury car is akin to asking Toyota why it needs to compete with Lexus. But Volkswagen dealers presumably have a niche that needs filling, and with the 2009 CC, it appears to have finally happened.
“CC” stands for Comfort Coupe, because even through the CC is a four-door, it has coupe-like styling that makes it appear to be sportier than it is. Underneath, the CC is basically a Passat that has had major, and very successful, cosmetic surgery. The central difference is that the CC seats two in the rear, while the Passat can seat three. And with the CC’s swoopy roofline, those two rear passengers will find headroom a bit tight.
And that is pretty much all the criticism I have for the CC, except for the price of the test vehicle, which I’ll get to in a moment.
Inside, our CC had Audi-level appointments and workmanship, with supple two-tone leather upholstery and an extremely upscale-appearing dashboard. On close inspection, it’s all not quite up to Audi standards, but it’s close.
Outside, the CC, which does indeed appear to have been inspired by the Mercedes CLS, is gorgeous. The Passat is no slouch, but it looks painfully plain next to the CC.
Under that handsome body, it’s a Passat, which is nothing to apologize for. The standard engine is a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder, although the test car had the 3.6-liter, 280-horsepower V-6, mated to a Japanese-built six-speed automatic transmission. And, being a 4Motion model, it was all-wheel-drive, again a nod to Audi.
The CC’s road manners were composed but spirited, a nice mix between a smooth ride and sharp handling. The car feels appropriately German, though the ultralight steering needs more feel. The engine has plenty of power, and it’s well-matched to the transmission.
The most-basic CC starts at less than $28,000, and that gets you the front-wheel-drive model with the capable 200-horsepower four-cylinder engine. It’s when you start adding on content that the CC gets pricey — the test car listed for $42,630, making it comparable with Audi not only in packaging but price. You could get a well-equipped Audi A4 for that, and you could get very close to a base A6.
In its base trim, the CC might be one of the best bargains of 2009 because the good looks are standard, as is a long list of safety features.
Even at more than $42,000, the CC VR6 4Motion looks, and feels, like a more expensive car. Nicely done.
Steven Cole Smithcan be reached at scsmith@orlandosentinel.com, at 407-420-5699, or through his blog at Enginehead.com.
