New cars: 2009 Volkswagen CC

Edmunds.com

CC stands for Comfort Coupe, even though this is not a coupe but a midsize sedan. “What’s in a name anyway?” Volkswagen has taken the humdrum, practical Passat and transformed it into “a ravishing looker” with a sleek, tapered roofline. Be warned: Rear-seat passengers taller than 6 feet will have to crouch down a bit “or lay off the hair gel.”

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The base model offers plenty for the money—a 2.0-liter, 200-hp, four-cylinder engine and a six-speed manual transmission that goes from 0 to 60 mph in 6.9 seconds and gets an average 25 mpg. Folding back seats allow extra cargo “to flow into the cabin.” For an extra $11,200, the optional VR6 package “does not seem like money well

spent” unless you absolutely need all-wheel drive.

Automobile

The conservative, buttoned-up Passat has always been Volkswagen’s “wallflower in the gray wool suit.” The designers and engineers have now ripped up the seams, recut the sheet metal, and given it a “Euro-cool, haute couture ensemble.” The CC also bears a strong resemblance to the Mercedes-Benz CLS, with its backswept profile, frameless doors, and panorama sunroof.