If you can't afford a Mercedes Benz CLS (and that's most of us these days!) help is on hand as the new Volkswagen Passat CC could prove to be the budget alternative.
Now before we get too excited 'CC' in Passat's case stands for Comfort Coupe not as in most cases Coupe Convertible! With seating for four and a sleeker body, the CC is less practical than the standard five-seat Passat, although it has a huge boot; at the very least the CC is a whole lot sexier. Is the Passat CC really a Merc alternative? Eh, not really, but it is a lot closer to a CLS than say the gorgeous looking Hyundai Coupe is to a Ferrari.
There is still a bit of a gap in most people's perceptions of the two German makes but despite this VW has built a name for itself as a respectable brand that can move in most social circles. The big question is can you justify paying about four grand more for a Passat CC over the standard Passat while getting one seat less? Well, on the looks front, the CC wins hands down.
The exterior is considerably wider, longer and lower than a regular Passat. It has a reduced glass that gives off a sophisticated looking glass area with nice touches to mark it out as a little bit more special than the average 'Rep-Mobile'.
My test car featured a 2-litre diesel that was a perfect match. The power train is nippy and makes the car an excellent motorway cruiser, but the really impressive thing is the diesel's excellent fuel economy as it only sips fuel. The CC has a massive range and very impressive consumption figures for a posh car.
Inside the cabin is well equipped and, while still clearly a VW, the overall sense is of the game being raised. The four seats are comfortable and you do feel that little special inside, thanks mainly to having all that extra shoulder room. Being a CC the doors are pillar-less and while the car is big inside, the larger among us will need to take care when getting in as it is easy to knock your head off the top of the door opening.
On the road the CC is composed and comfortable. In a straight line it is hard to fault. The long body and suspension set up is not really suited to Ireland's twisty boreens, but, again, with all that torque on hand you won't feel as if progress is being impaired at all as anytime lost on the corners can be made up effortlessly on the straighter bits.
Volkswagen took a bath with the Phaeton - the German firm's first attempt at doing a posh motor - but this experience has helped deliver the CC to the market. I am disappointed that certain toys you'd expect as standard aren't standard, like iPod connectivity, mobile phone preparation and, in a car this long, parking sensors!
At the moment, I think the Passat CC is right on the limit of where people will accept and pay for a saloon car from VW, before jumping ship to posher rivals like Audi, Lexus, BMW, Jaguar or Mercedes. Prices start at a shade under €40,000 and rise to €50,000 or thereabouts. In terms of VRT tax bands, the CC comes in version that range from band 'C' through to 'F'. Above the standard manual gearbox you can get the automated manual DSG on certain models.
The Passat CC is a very impressive machine.
Michael Sheridan
