VW’S CC TO GET ALL-WHEEL DRIVE, PERFORMANCE LIFT
With upscale interior, V-6, positioning CC over Passat finally makes sense
Volkswagen’s CC is a bit of an orphan in Volkswagen Canada’s lineup. Based on the previousgeneration Passat, it was meant to be an intermediary step between the Passat family sedan and the Phaeton that Volkswagen was hoping would challenge the might of Mercedes-Benz and BMW in the luxury sedan segment.
The CC received all manner of luxury upgrades, was powered by Volkswagen’s 3.6-litre VR6 engine and carried a luxury price tag.
Since the CC’s introduction in 2008, the Phaeton has gone the way of the dodo bird and the Passat has been thoroughly rejuvenated, with a whole new platform for the North American version in 2012, followed by a refresh for the 2016 model year. Then, Volkswagen Canada dropped the V-6 option from its top-of-the-line CC, offering only a 2.0-L TFSI four.
The “lesser” Passat, meanwhile, can be had not only with that big V-6 and a base 1.8-L gas-fuelled turbo-four but, once Diesel gate is over, with Volkswagen’s muchcoveted 2.0-L TDI. What were once all but identical, the Passat and CC are now radically different, with the 2016 CC getting the short end of the stick. Like I said, orphaned.
The CC is essentially a fourcylinder, front-wheel-drive fourdoor with about the same price as an Audi A4, but with less power. Confused? So am I. Well, now it’s going to get even more confusing, but in a good way.
For 2017, the CC will dump the 2.0-L four-cylinder completely, and the upmarket 280-hp VR6 will become the only engine available. Better yet, the drivetrain of choice will be VW’s vaunted 4 Motion all-wheel drive, the CC to be no longer available as a frontdriver.
And, in the best news of all, despite these significant upgrades, Volkswagen Canada is hoping to bring this rejuvenated version of the CC in for the same price as the current Highline.
The interior has also been upgraded with a new touch screen infotainment system and 12-way power-adjustable seats.
Having dispensed with the lower-level trims, all that Volkswagen Canada sells is a Sportline model that starts at $39,750 and an even more hedonistically equipped version, the Highline, at $43,825. Both are fully loaded, and the main difference is that the Highline gains a 12-way power-adjustable passenger seat, an upgraded 600-watt audio system with 10 speakers and 18-inch wheels. In either case, the CC, at least in interior decor and equipment, is more appropriately compared with a baseline Mercedes-Benz than with a Toyota Camry or Ford Fusion.
With a V-6 and all-wheel drive, the CC’s premium positioning finally begins to make more sense.