German automakers have recently become obsessed with the concept of a four-door ‘coupe’. What this means is that 4 door sedans are being designed with increasingly sloping roofs that curve down to kiss the top of the trunk lid. This gives a visual impression that is similar to that of a large coupe, especially with the addition of smaller rear windows and rear glass that integrates into a hatch-like trunk.
the word ‘coupe’ has referred to the fact that two doors are missing, Volkswagen has thrown their hat into this trendy derby, unveiling the 2008 Volkswagen Passat CC in Detroit. The CC stands for ‘Comfort Coupe’, and this elegant four-door sedan is based on the standard Passat platform. However, the body has been worked to be longer and wider than its more sedate cousin. The range-topping engine for the Passat CC is a 280 horsepower V6, and the European markets will also get two different common rail turbodiesel engines making about 100 horsepower less. The Passat CC only requires 6.6 seconds in the sprint to 60 miles per hour, which is not bad for a family sedan. A six-speed transmission with manual gear selection capabilities is the only transmission to be offered in North America, and it is connected to Volkswagen’s 4MOTION all-wheel drive system to provide maximum traction and stability.
If drivers are looking to push their Passat CC to the edge of the performance envelope, then they can do so via the ‘Dynamic Driver Control’ system which is integrated into an electronically adjustable suspension. Choosing the ‘Sport’ setting via a simple pushbutton stiffens the entire suspension and also drops the amount of assist in the power steering, enabling the driver to feel a more direct connection to the road. ‘Normal’ mode lets the car automatically adjust suspension settings to the conditions on the road, with sensors constantly monitoring wheel and body movement in order to tune the vehicle on the fly. If both ‘Normal’ and ‘Sport’ get to be a bit too much, then selecting ‘Comfort’ is the equivalent of wrapping yourself in a cocoon, isolating the driver from any and all road roughness that might be encountered while motoring.
The 2008 Volkswagen Passat CC has a few other gadgets to assist drivers with the chore of getting from point A to point B. One of the most interesting is ‘Lane Assist’, which uses a small camera to pickup the lines in the middle of the road. Above 40 miles per hour, the system can be used in order to keep the CC in the correct lane. To do this, the car can actually interject steering inputs, turning the wheel slightly when the computer controller determines that the vehicle is straying too far from its intended course. Volkswagen claims that these inputs are very subtle, and can easily be overpowered by the driver if necessary. Strangely, if the system detects that the motorist has removed their hands from the steering wheel, a ‘vibratory’ and audio warning are given and the system switches itself off. While at first glance this might sound like an intriguing idea, it seems like the number of lawsuits that theoretically could result from Passat CC drivers who are not completely aware of the system’s design could be large.
It is uncertain whether the public is really interested in a more upscale Passat. The last time that Volkswagen attempted to bypass Audi and court luxury buyers directly was with the Phaeton, and while that vehicle was much more expensive than the 2008 Volkswagen Passat CC, it was also a complete marketing disaster. It is possible that the Passat CC will either replace the Passat entirely or merely provide a stepping stone to the next luxury attempt by VW.
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