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The Canadien Champion, Friday, December 5, 2008 - B19 Appealing to professionals and young couples • troni rPASSAi on page iô Whether in Sportline or trim, the cabin is nicely done. The styl- ish dash is well thought out with all knobs, gauges and buttons easy to reach. Some observers think the dash material with its 'pebbly' appearance takes away somewhat from the elegance of the design, but I really don't have a problem with it. The use of polished aluminum and wood grain trim as interior accents adds to the appeal of the cabin and the Nappa leather seats in my test vehicle were top grade. However, the seat material in the base model as driven at Testfest was just fine and I'd have no prob- lem living with the Sportline trim level. The sport-style driver's seat is heavily bolstered and I never real- ly got it adjusted for a perfect fit. I suspect that was my doing rather than a design factor. Rear seat headroom was adequate and actu- ally better than expected with the sloping coupe-style roof line, which is about 50 mm (two inch- es) lower than in the Passat sedan. Legroom is also fine for rear- seat passengers, but this is truly a 2 + 2 design with buckets front and rear. With that in mind, its clear that Volkswagen doesn't look at the CC as a truc 'family car', but one that will appeal to professionals and young couples looking to move upmarket, per- haps from a Jetta or Golf. The CC is another of the recent launches for Volkswagen, which help fill in gaps in the marketing jigsaw puzzle. It joins the Tiguan and Routan as new products that flush out the VW brand and keep consumers from crossing over to the competition when they out- grow their current vehicle. but some drivers may opt for that model just to get the 4Motion, which sure cones in handy on days like today when we experi- enced our first 'real' winter driv- ing experience of the season. However, after my two oppor- tunities with the 2.0T, I was left with the impression that this was plenty of engine for me. In AJAC testing, the CC pro- duced a acceleration numbers of 7.9 seconds (0-100 km/h) and 5.9 seconds (80-120 km/h) and a braking number of 43.lm (100-0 km/h). Fuel consumption ratings for the 2.OT are 10.8U100 km (26 mpg) city and 7.1U100 km (40 mpg) highway with an average of 9.lU00 km (31 mpg). Premium unleaded fuel is recommended. Tops in the acceleration test was the Nissan Maxima (boasting a 3.5L V6) with numbers of 6.4 and 4.6 seconds respectively. The CC came away with the highest ranked interior of the bunch, although the cargo vol- ume of 400L was lowest in class. On the road, the Passat CC is a delightful car to drive and equally at home on the highway or back roads. It has all the safety features expected of a sport sedan these days like Anti-slip Regulation (ASR), Electronic Differential Lock (EDL), Engine Braking Assist (EBA), Electronic Stability Program (ESP), Hydraulic Brake Assist (HBA), anti-lock brakes (ABS) and power assisted front vented disc bràkes. Ride and handling is a step above the regular Passat sedan as I remember it thanks in part to the sport suspension. The CC fea- tures independent front bas a fully independent four-link setup with coil springs, telescopic shock absorbers and stabilizer bar. On rough roads, the CC had a surprisingly com- fortable feel, even with the sport suspension, which L The 2009 Passat CC breaks new ground for Volkswagen with a European-styled sport sedan that has coupe-like looks and superb handling at an affordable price. Das Auto is good! e e e I DO YOUR PART Help keep our community clean by following Milton's local recycling guidelines, and recycle this paper when you're finished reading it! fifk~oiiî a