NEW PASSAT CC COUPE
28 August 2008 - Volkswagen (UK)

Graceful and elegant four-door, four-seater coupe

The VW Passat range until now has been a thoroughly capable range of upper medium D segment saloons and estates, but more functional and dependable than inspiring in design. In the UK they are workhorses with 70% of the 38,000 UK annual sales taken up by business car users.

UK sales in this sector for the first six months of this year show a 6% fall over the same period as last year as fleet and business customers down-size, due to higher fuel prices and personal taxation. This fall is twice the size of the overall downturn in the domestic new car market.

However for the same period the executive car sector has shown a 6.8% increase in registrations so customers wanting ‘premium’ models appear, so far, to be immune from the financial constraints hitting the automotive industry.

It is therefore timely to give the Passat range a lift and broaden its appeal. Volkswagen has introduced the graceful and elegant Passat CC four-door, four-seater coupe and the high performance 300PS R36 saloon and estate models.

Traditionally the Passat holds the middle ground in its sales sector between the volume models such as the Ford Mondeo, Vauxhall Vectra (soon to be Insignia), Peugeot 407, Citroen C5, Honda Accord and the ‘premium’ brand models such as the Audi A4, BMW 3 Series and Mercedes-Benz C-Class.

The VW Passat CC
With prices ranging from £21,065 to £31,145 there are two levels of specification, CC and CC GT, and engines ranging from 1.8-litre to a V6 3.6-litres. VW in the UK expects to sell around 2,500 CC models this year rising to 5,800 in 2009 and they say that 70% will be going to the fleet market, in line with other models in the range.

Initially the Passat CC is available with three engine options, two petrol and one diesel. The petrol units are the 1.8-litre TSI 160PS and the range topping 3.6-litre V6PS unit which comes as standard with VW’s 4MOTION all wheel drive and six-speed DSG automatic gearbox. Diesel power comes the in the form of the VW Group’s new 2.0-litre TDI 140PS common-rail turbodiesel unit as used in the Audi A4. Later this year a 2.0-litre TSI 200PS petrol engine and a 2.0-litre TDI 170PS unit will be added to the range.

Forgetting the very expensive Phaeton luxury saloon, which sells in very low numbers, WW until now didn’t have a relatively affordable flagship, but the elegant Passat CC does that. Cleverly adopting a four-door design for its coupe body style the newcomer will compete head on with the Mercedes CLS which opened up a new segment in the market. It is for private and business motorists who occasionally need a car with four doors, but in the main want a stylish and sporty executive model without it looking like a family saloon.

The Passat CC is longer and lower than the standard saloon. The length is increased by 34mm to 4,799mm, width by 35mm to 1,855mm and the height is decreased by 55mm to 1,417mm. The rear track is widened by 8mm. The rear seating is for two persons, the rear headroom is just ample enough for six-footers and there is plenty of legroom. Boot space is
532-litres.

The Passat is VW’s first model, just beating the new Scirocco, to have Adaptive Chassis Control which has three settings, comfort, normal and sport, which adjusts the suspension and steering to the desired performance. All models have a sports suspension which is 15mm lower than a standard Passat.

Specification is of course high and includes Electronic Stability Programme, front side and curtain airbags, climate control air conditioning and much of the interior is the same as the Passat saloon and estates. This is a pity because the exterior design promises so much and the interior is well – just the same.

The majority of customers will opt for the new 2.0-litre TDI 140PS common-rail diesel engine, which from the Audi A4 and VW Tiguan SUV, we know to be quiet, smooth, responsive and fuel efficient. This model with a 6-speed manual transmission will cost £21,895 in CC trim form or £22,795 with GT specification.

However for customers who do not cover huge mileages the smart buy is the Passat CC 1.8-litre, 160PS turbocharged petrol engine priced at £21,065. This costs less than the diesel models to buy and saves a little on the price of fuel. However road tax and company car benefit in kind tax based on emissions are marginally higher.

Why I like this model is first of all the purchase price and the fact that VW are able to get diesel engine like torque, and hence excellent response, from their latest turbocharged petrol engines. The torque output is 185lb ft or 250Nm from just 1,500rpm, brilliant for a smooth, quiet and responsive drive. Top speed is 138mph and 0-62mph takes just 8.6 seconds. In a car of this size for a relatively small capacity engine the performance is exceptional. Fuel economy is 37.2mpg, 34mpg during my test session, and the CO2 emissions are 180g/km giving it a Band E rating of £170 for road tax.

For the price savvy customer this is the Passat CC model to go for.

MILESTONES. Volkswagen Passat CC 1.8-litre TSI 6-speed manual. Price: £21,065. Engine: 1.8-litre, four-cylinder, turbocharged petrol, 160PS, 185lb ft (250Nm) from 1,500rpm. Performance: 138mph, 0-62mph 8.6 seconds, 37.2mpg (34mphg actual), CO2 180g/km, VED Band E £170. Benefit in kind tax: 24%. Insurance group: 13E. For: Graceful stylish and elegant good looks, comfortable, large boot, strong, quiet and responsive engine, more desirable than other Passat models. Against: Room only for two rear seat passengers, limited rear headroom, so-so handling.

The VW Passat R36
Just as Audi has its S and quattro sports models, BMW has its M versions and Mercedes Benz their AMG variants, VW has RS derivatives and the latest are the RS6 Passat saloon and estate priced at £31,015 and £32,175 respectively.

Not only did VW need to add some performance spice to the staid Passat range but they also needed to have high performance ‘halo’ models in the range available to existing customers. This stops buyers switching brands to Audi, BMW and Merc and also could attract new customers moving down from even more high cost performance brands.

The Passat R36 is going to be no big seller; you wouldn’t expect it to be. Only 250 units will come to the UK in a full year and VW expects 60% of those to be the estate version.

The Passat R36 is the third R model in the VW passenger car range joining the Golf R32 and Touareg R50.

The Passat R36 has a 3.6-litre, V6 petrol engine developing 300PS and 258lb ft (350Nm) from 2,400rpm. Top speed is limited to 155mph, 0-62mph takes 5.6 seconds for the saloon, the estate 5.8 seconds. Emissions are high at 249g/km so £400 road tax and 35% benefit in kind company car tax will be burdens only the well off are happy to put up with. For the record, average fuel consumption is 26.9mpg, my test car returned a reasonable 23.2mpg but it will get much lower than this if pushed really hard.

The R36 has as standard a six-speed semi-automatic DSG gearbox and VW’s 4MOTION four-wheel drive system which distributes power to the wheels with the most grip.

The interior of the car has been giving a sporting styling treatment but it sets no new standards and looks fairly bland but un-offensive. Extended wheelarches, 18-inch alloy wheels, re-styled lights front and rear plus large bore exhaust tailpipes complete the exterior styling upgrades and larger brakes are also fitted.

I understand that VW need a high performance Passat but it will only be of limited interest. It isn’t such a strong performer, it is not as rapid or as sure footed as the Mercedes AMG or BMW M models comparable C-Class or 3 Series models but then it doesn’t costs anywhere near as much as those. It is a good halfway house and could attract those moving up in the world and catch those coming down in the market.

MILESTONES. Volkswagen Passat R36 4MOTION Saloon. Price: £31,015. Engine/transmission: 3.6-litre, V6 indirect injection petrol, 300PS, 258lb ft (350NM) torque from 2,400rpm, 6-speed DSG semi-automatic gearbox, 4MOTION all-wheel drive. Performance: 155mph (limited), 0-62mph 5.6 seconds, 26.9mpg (23.2mpg actual), CO2 249g/km, VED Band G £400. Benefit in kind tax: 35%. Insurance group: 18E. For: Fills a niche in the Passat range, price compared to similar high performance Audi, BMW, Mercedes models, commendable performance. Against: Competent but not much fun in this class of sports saloons/estates.

Miles Better News Agency

http://www.vw.co.uk

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