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12.27.08 -- Lines of Distinction, the all new CC
Lines of Distinction
Combining the practicality of a sedan with the emotional appeal of a coupe, Volkswagen breaks new ground in design and dynamics with its breathtaking CC.
Even while perfectly still, it appears as though it’s in motion. It offers an aggressive, perpetually forward looking stance, like that of a predator the very second before it sets upon its prey.
No matter how many times you’ve seen a photo of the CC, nothing compares to the first time you see one in the wild. It’s one of those rare cars on the road today that forces you to literally stop what you’re doing and devote your full attention to it. After all, you’ve likely not seen a car like it before and, most certainly, not from Volkswagen. Until now.
With an automotive history as deep as Volkswagen’s, when you endeavor to design and build a vehicle like you never have before, it needs to be something very special. Well, the CC is special, alright. This curvaceous beauty, with carved-from granite look and aggressive lines is an automotive work of art. It’s stunning. It’s provocative. It’s streamlined. It doesn’t just grab your attention; it commands it.
And it’s an early, bold entrant into a growing vehicle segment- one that the CC has stood poised to be a major factor in from the moment it hit the market this fall.
Its one-of-a-kind design of course, is simply where Volkswagen starts with the CC. As you’ll see, every decision and detail that went into the CC comes with a very important purpose: Giving owners an experience unlike anything VW has given them before. It’s what the people want, after all.
Prepare to be stared at. Prepare to be gawked at. Prepare for second looks, long stares, pointing, smiling, questions about what exactly it is you’re driving. Prepare for looks of pleasant surprise when people see it’s a Volkswagen.
Why? Because the CC not only offers stunning European form and German-engineered function, it also offers the type of fiscal relief only VW can provide. The CC starts at less than $27,000, a welcome respite from its competitors that starts at two or three times that.
A truly unique and groundbreaking car from Volkswagen’s renowned in-house design team, the CC masterfully mates sports car dynamics and all the luxurious trappings of a sedan comfort. Its aerodynamics, featuring a drag coefficient of cw 0.29, is more efficient than that of a bullet. The biggest clue that the CC is indeed a VW initially comes from the wheels, available in optional 17- or 18-inch alloys that bear all the hallmarks of VW’s in-house wheel design team.
The CC features the kind of class-leading cabin design befitting a vehicle of its emotional appeal. A truly first-class interior fit and finish is bolstered by high-quality materials and a uniquely European design sensibility. The Dynaudio® premium sound system with 10 speakers provides the night’s soundtrack with perfect audio clarity. Play your own soundtrack through enhanced mp3 player connectivity or the six-disc CD changer; or let fate play DJ, thanks to SIRIUS® satellite radio.
Get comfortable- easy to do as you slide in the CC an take a seat on it’s V-Tex seating surface. Don’t worry about spills; this material just looks and feels like leather. It’s much more practical and easy to maintain than that.
Uh-oh- mobile phone is dead. Can’t be out on the town with no way to be reached. Quick, pop the charger into one of the three 12V power outlets and juice this thing up. Crisis averted.
For now, that is. Now we need to find a parking spot. Is that one over there? Will this thing fit? No need to guess. The optional rear-view camera helps us out, guides us into that spot like a glove. On we go.
The CC is a sexy beast. So it’s OK to not tell your friends and family how safe and practical it is, too. Keep it to yourself that the CC is designed as much for protection as it is for evoking passion. Sure, anti-intrusion side door beams provide a sturdy frame and a bevy of side and front airbags* for front and rear passengers offer extra protection in case of a collision, but that will your little secret.
No need to bore them with details of Volkswagen’s Prevent and Preserve™ safety system, all designed to help keep you safe behind the wheel of the CC, Why quote how much cubic footage the CC’s cavernous trunk offers? Look at this thing- it’s a work of art on wheels. And when you’re out in the city enjoying everything it has to offer, that’s what matters.
Tech Savvy
The CC’s refreshing approach to automotive design doesn’t stop once you get inside. Indeed, its technological features enhance the overall driving experience, instead of distracting from it. The CC’s technology seamlessly integrates into its striking interior aesthetic. As radical as it may sound, the CC’s technology is designed for the people, to actually make their driving experiences simpler and less stressful.
For starters, there’s an improved, streamlined MP3 player integration system (with the optional navigation system only). Easier to get to the music you want to hear, when you want to hear it. And to get where you want to go when you want to get there courtesy of the optional touch-screen navigation system with real-time traffic data and 3D map display mode, which comes with the SIRIUS® satellite subscription package. Smoothly navigating crowded streets on your next evening out is made easier with this savvy system.
And because the last thing you want to do in the middle of an evening in the city is stand next to a gas pimp, the CC is refreshingly reserved when it comes to fuel consumption, averaging up to 31 mpg on the highway (your mileage may vary)
The Four Horsemen
Four trim levels are available with the CC, and each offers drivers a combination of power, productivity and fuel-efficiency.
Sport: 2.0TFSI, four-cylinder with 200hp and 207lb.-ft. of torque is standard and comes in either six-speed manual or automatic with Tiptronic®
Luxury: 2.0TFSI, four-cylinder with 200hp and 207lb.-ft. of torque, six-speed automatic with Tiptronic®
VR6 Sport: 3.6L, six-cylinder, 280hp, six-speed automatic with Tiptronic®
VR6 4MOTION®: 3.6L, six-cylinder, 280hp, six-speed automatic with Tiptronic® and all-wheel drive(AWD)
This article is taken from DasAuto Magazine. Fall/Winter 2008 vol46// No 2 pp 37-42
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