Volkswagen CC (2012 – 2017) Review
Volkswagen CC (2012 – 2017) At A Glance
When Volkswagen updated the CC in 2012, it dropped the Passat part of the name to emphasise the car’s four-door coupe status in its range. It certainly works as a stylish family car with flair thanks to the looks and engines in the line-up that offer everything from frugal to fast. At heart, it’s still a Passat, so you also get a comfortable ride and decent handling, good refinement and excellent build quality. Admittedly, the CC isn’t quite as desirable as an Audi A5, but it’s cost-effective to run and own while delivering a dash of everyday chic.
Volkswagen dropped the Passat part of the CC’s name when the new model pitched up in 2012. This was a deliberate attempt to distance the four-door coupe model from its more humdrum mainstream sister, yet buyers were not fooled then and they are not now.
While Volkswagen may have been embarrassed by the CC’s Passat origins, there’s nothing wrong with this in our book as the Passat was one of the most capable family cars of its period. It follows the CC is also very able and it comes with a welcome extra sporting glint in its headlight thanks to its looks and the way it drives.
The engine range comprised 1.8-litre TSI 160PS or 2.0-litre TSI 210PS petrols and a 2.0-litre TDI common rail diesel with either 140PS, 170PS and 184PS. Each version of the TDI was offered with fuel saving BlueMotion Technology.
Plus, all models with 170PS or more have an XDS differential as standard. This is the same system that features on the Golf GTI and uses the electronic traction control system to improve cornering and traction. See, we told you it had a more sporting side than the Passat on which it’s based.
Of course, the most obvious expression of this sporty nature is the CC’s coupe styling. Unlike other car makers that use the CC moniker to denote a coupe-cabriolet model, the VW CC is very much a fixed roof machine. It has four doors, in the same mould as the Mercedes CLS or BMW 6 Series Gran Coupe, both cars that VW hoped its CC buyers would aspire to even if their budgets didn’t quite stretch that far.
As a result, the CC ended up being a one-off in the family car class with no direct rivals. The Kia Stinger arrived after the CC had been replaced by the Arteon, so it is set in aspic as an unusual detour for Volkswagen and one that still holds an appeal today for those who fancy the idea of a Scirocco but need more practicality.
The front cabin is very similar to the contemporary Passat’s, which is no bad thing as it’s precisely laid out and well made. The rear has frameless doors just like the front pair and they open to reveal a rear with only two proper seats and very slim centre pew.
This limits versatility to some degree, but then coupe buyers are less likely to have that as a top priority. Read headroom is not as good as the Passat saloon’s, but it’s certainly not poor. There’s also a decent boot, so the CC makes a sound case for itself.
All models come with touchscreen sat nav, DAB digital radio, iPod and Bluetooth connectivity, two-zone climate control, 17-inch alloy wheels and xenon headlights. Again, this gives the CC a good slice of buyer appeal.