THE PEOPLE’S COUPE
Following in the vein of the Mercedes CLS, while not actually competing against it, is one of the latest entries to the VW stables – the Passat CC. MALCOLM XAVIER CRASTA WRITES

Cars such as these are not classified as sedans but rather as four-door coupés. These are basically sedans with coupé-like proportions that still retain most, if not all, of the practicality of a full size sedan. The first and only car to previously carry this designation was the Rover P5 from 1962 until 1973. This design philosophy was only recently revived in the form of the above mentioned Mercedes CLS in 2004. It is now joined by the likes of the Passat CC and soon by the Porsche Panamera and the Aston Martin Rapide.

One look at the exterior of the Passat CC and its distinctive coupé-like design is instantly apparent. Slotted between the regular Passat, whose wheelbase it shares, and the Phaeton in the VW range, the CC is longer, lower and wider than the Passat. Overall it is a very handsome vehicle from practically every angle, apart from maybe the rear. And with its pulled back headlights, 18-inch rims, its wide stance and a low slung roof it looks all the more sporty but has a certain sense of classiness to it. The interior design follows suit with the exteriors sporty theme. The vehicle features sports seats up front, very similar to the seats found in the R32, and two, individually contoured, seats in the rear, which unfortunately makes it strictly a four seater. But think of it as a coupé with two spacious full size rear seats and this is honestly not that big a deal. But, as you may have already guessed, the low roof line does cause headroom problems in the back for anyone close to six feet tall. Also, normally we wouldn’t pay much attention to boot space, unless it was extraordinarily large or vice versa, but in this car it deserves a special mention. Not only does it fit into the former, extraordinarily large, category but it can also be extended by folding down the rear seats. It even has a perfectly rectangular shape with a huge opening making loading and unloading easier. But what truly makes it impressive is that, despite offering such a huge volume, it still provides you with a full size 18-inch spare wheel!

To be honest, it would be unfair to criticise the quality of the few harder materials inside the car. They are not bad by any standards, but just don’t match-up to the high standards of the rest of the car. The leather is soft, the finish is next to flawless and everything looks like it was built to last. But over everything else it is the brushed aluminium finish of the centre console and the polished black surrounds of the console components that stand out the most in contrast with the polished wood accents of the rest of the car. It adds a feeling of class to the interior that is only found in cars that cost a lot more. Behind the wheel, as with most VW’s, the driving position is great with ample adjustments to suit people of all sizes. The 2.0l turbocharged inline-four, pulled straight from the GTI, is rated at 197hp and provides more than enough oomph to make sure the CC never feels sluggish. The vehicle also has electronically controlled shock absorbers with three firmness settings. These setting not only firm up the shocks but also the steering, providing better feedback and a firmer ride on its sportiest setting. The ride itself is smooth and relaxing with minimal noise intruding into the cabin, either from the road or the engine. The six-speed auto box is responsive, even in manual mode, with minimal delay when switching gears. About the only thing that we can criticise about is that the steering, although sharp and responsive, could use some more feel and firmness.

As far as features are concerned, the car is packed to the brim with them. The car we drove was a fully specced model and was equipped with a touch screen navigation, dynaudio premium audio system, adaptive headlamps, electric seats and a lot more. It even had VW’s automatic parking system that we saw earlier in the Tiguan. It even has all the regular safety related bells and whistles; all round airbags, ABS, ESP and the like. And you will get all of this for around RO16,000 and, if you want a lower spec model, the basic car is priced at RO14,500. At this price it is hard to fault the CC but at the same time you have to keep in mind that this is strictly a four-seater and the rear headroom isn’t great but apart from this it is a great buy that is worth every rial spent on it.