Volkswagen clearly believes it can charge a premium for style, judging by the newly-announced prices for its four-door, four-seater Passat CC 'coupe'. ( AC )
The new model's entry-level, 158bhp, 1.8-litre TFSI variant will start at ?21,040; that's almost ?4000 more than the similarly engined regular Passat. The range-topping, 3.6-litre V6 Passat CC, with four-wheel drive, costs ?31,120, almost ?5000 up on the top-spec Passat saloon.
Two trim levels are on offer: standard CC and GT. In standard guise the Passat CC comes equipped with sports suspension, 17-inch alloys, climate control, touchscreen CD stereo sound system, electrically adjustable sports seats and a multifunction leather steering wheel.
On GT models the 17-inch wheels are replaced by larger 18-inchers, while the rear windows are tinted and front foglights are fitted as standard. The GT-spec Passat CC also Adaptive Chassis Control (ACC), a first for a VW, which adjusts damper settings and the weight of the electro-mechanical steering to give the driver a choice of either normal, comfort or sport modes.
The CC range will comprise of two petrol engines (1.8-litre TSI and 3.6-litre V6 FSI) and a 138bhp 2.0-litre TDI from launch; a 167bhp version of the same oil-burrner and a 196bhp, 2.0-litre petrol unit will widen the range later in the year.