( Auto ) - Volkswagen has begun final development of its new Passat-based coupe before an expected debut at next year's Geneva motor show.
The new four-door, pictured here in near- production form undergoing hot-weather running in Death Valley, California, is aimed at the Mercedes-Benz CLS. VW also wants to add spice its lineup as part of a niche-car offensive that also includes the upcoming Golf-based Scirocco.
Internally known as the CC (for C-segment coupe), the car is positioned above the Passat sedan in a bid to fill the void between it and the upmarket Phaeton. (That model has just been facelifted, and VW's chairman, Martin Winterkorn, says it will remain in the lineup long-term, though it flopped in the United States.)
The CC was styled by Murat Gunak, VW's former design boss, before his departure last December. Certain elements have been reworked since the arrival of the German carmaker's new head of design, Walter de' Silva. The front end gets new headlamps and grille and has been altered to reflect a new corporate identity that will be on all upcoming VW models.
Boasting an almost Audi-esque appeal, the CC gets a unique body shell and more extreme screen angles than the standard Passat. Among the more prominent design features is a heavy swage line along the flanks. A clever trunk/hatch arrangement opens in two steps, the first in conventional notchback form and the second allowing the complete rear window to hinge skyward as in a traditional hatchback. Long rear doors are clearly aimed at easing entry to the rear, although headroom in back is likely to be compromised by the plunging roofline and raked rear window.
At 189 inches, the CC is an inch longer than the Passat, despite sharing a 106-inch wheelbase. The stretch has been achieved by lengthening the front and rear overhangs by half an inch. A shallower greenhouse also sees height reduced by two inches, providing the new upmarket VW with a much sportier profile than its standard sibling.
The engine lineup will include at least five different engines from the start of European sales in mid-2008. Among the gasoline units expected to be offered in North America are a 170-hp, 1.4-liter four-cylinder Twincharger; a 200-hp, 2.0-liter four-cylinder turbo, and a 250-hp 3.2-liter V6 with optional Haldex multiplate clutch 4Motion four-wheel-drive system.
The diesels will include two versions of the Volkswagen Group's new 2.0-liter four-cylinder common rail engine with 141 hp and 170 hp. Also planned, although not expected to form part of the initial lineup, is a hot four-wheel-drive range-topping model running the Passat R36's new 3.6-liter V6 engine with 300 hp.