VW Passat CC

Volkswagen has had a few attempts at selling a prestigious upmarket saloon... the ill fated Phaeton one example which was 

not of its time.

Th Passat then moved up  to fill the role of the prestige sedan in the VW range, before the CC arrived.

It's a different story with the VW CC  a sexy swoopy low roofed sedan, with a look not dissimilar to the Mercedes four door coupes.

My test was in the V6 4 Motion all wheel drive model.

The traditional VW attention to detail evident everywhere from controls, to seat and ride comfort.

I found (unlike other testers) the comfort setting on the adjustable suspension suited my posterior just fine... not too floaty but just right... with no harshness over bumps/

There is some tyre noise on free way surfaces( not as bad as some other European tyred cars)  but otherwise the car is whisper quiet.. no wind noise.

Handling is excellent with good feedback in the steering and tenacious grip in corners.

I didn't mind the 3.6 litre V6 engine, (despite having a penchant for the TDi range) it was smooth as silk under acceleration and returned in mostly city driving around eleven litres per 100 k.

Other options include a Driver Assistance Package with blind-spot warning in the wing mirrors, lane-assist featuring steering prompts if the driver starts to drift off course.

Active/adaptive cruise control provides emergency brake function at lower speeds. 

Keyless start and entry a bonus in this car and a brilliantly clear sound system, easy to use sat nav rounded off the impressive range of goodies inside.

The new taillight lenses and shapes are very eye catching and in keeping with trends for manufacturers to identify various models at night with individual lens patterns.

Daytime running lights are also a distinguishing feature.

Brilliant bi- xenon headlights provide a clear and assuring beam at night.

Getting in and out of the car requires remembering the low roofline and ducking your head a little further.

Once inside, the driving position is very good with multiple adjustments on seat and steering column.There are three drivers seat memory buttons.

Heated seats front and rear a good idea on frosty days.

Rearward vision is an issue in many modern cars but the CC has plenty of glass area ahead of the C pillar, and the large back window allows good vision when reversing.

Self parking is also part of the suite of features enabling hands free parking in both parallel and 90 degree angle modes.

I do like the large 18 inch wheels, they really set the lines off nicely and contribute to the upmarket look of the car..

At 64 Thousand dollars it's worth shopping the CC alongside competitors from Mercedes BMW and Audi.. It's that good. Peter Sellen