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Discreet Class at Your Volkswagen Dealer   by Mark Creese

There are some cars that are instantly gorgeous and they usually originate from Italy, where flair and passion far outweigh mundane real-life situations like reliability. There are a few European cars popping up that have a subtle beauty that may very well pass you by until someone points out they are beautiful, much like Sophie Ellis Bextor. The Volkswagen Passat CC GT V6 is one such car - available now at Volkswagen dealers.

The Passat range has always been well styled, if a little conservative and 'German'. The CC is no different regarding its German-ness however this is relevant to the engineering and build quality - the styling really is something Pinifarina would come up with for Ferrari were they to build a sports saloon. Pillarless doors are just the start of the classy credentials of this car. The slender roofline gracefully slides down to the curvaceous rear lights that wrap the sides of the car. The alloy wheels subtly curve inwards and the headlights look like an elegant piece of sculpture. And elegant certainly is the word you'd utter upon seeing this car. The Passat sits perfectly between the bland and ridiculous, with no spoilers or gaping air vents to spoil its natural looks, making the car perfect for driving unnoticed by all but those who appreciate true beauty.

That roofline is slender, so much so that you'll bang your head the first few times you get in, but the interior is worth the grogginess. There's room for four adults too with its Tardis-like spaciousness - a fact you can level at the cavernous boot as well. The large glass panel in the roof gives the sense of even more space. Ivory leather seats with brushed aluminium and chrome adorning the dashboard and surrounding upholstery makes you feel as welcome as watching your favourite television programme on your sofa at home. Don't for one moment think this car is geared up for Volkswagen dealers to sell to the older generation though, because the toys that come with it are pure PlayStation generation.

My favourite couple of gadgets were the laser-guided cruise control and an electronic driving instructor. The main drawback of cruise control is simply that with idiots constantly pulling out in front of you on the motorway you end up spending only one percent of your time resting your foot. The Passat's laser-guided effort judges the distance of the car ahead and automatically slows you down to a safe distance, before speeding up of its own accord once the blighter is back in the slow lane. The driving instructor is even more innovative. Pull from one lane to the next without indicating and you'll be shoved back from whence you came, much like my real-life instructor did to avoid almost certain death when I was learning.

The 3.6 litre GT comes with a DSG gearbox - or 'flappy paddle' effort as it is better known - which isn't harsh but is a bit too squidgy too, taking seemingly forever to change down a gear to allow the full 296bhp to take hold. You will however find the suspension harsh if you opt for 'sport' mode, so I highly recommend selecting 'normal' or 'comfort' from the on-board computer and stay in-keeping with the cars subtle approach to driving.

So that 296bhp then. 0-60mph takes a mere 5.6 seconds and you can charge all the way to 155mph if you fancy losing your licence. As I keep harping on about, the performance (albeit impressive) is not why you should consider buying this car. It's the class that will make you want one, such as on board computer that has a picture so crisp, you'll be once again thinking you're back at home, even if the picture is just the satellite navigation.

The Volkswagen's main rival is the Mercedes CLS and its first body blow comes in the form of a £25,000 saving over the Merc's on the road price. Its knockout punch is that it is nearly as good despite the gulf in pricing. The Passat GT V6 is the top of the range and costs £30, 492 which is a sizable chunk of change I grant you, but haven't you been reading the sheer amount of car and kit you get for that?

Anyone familiar with my articles will know this one is a collector's item - I've actually reviewed the car for 99 percent of the word count. The reason is quite simple, there's much to love about the Volkswagen Passat CC and to not mention the impressive gadgetry and sculptured body would be sacrilegious. Just don't expect anyone to look at you when you're driving one.

About the Author

Mark Creese is a writer and a car enthusiast. Here he discusses the New Ford Ka.
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This entry was posted on Friday, January 12th, 2007 at 6:52 pm and is filed under Games. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.