German dash: 2010 VW CC Sport
May 12, 2010: 12:47 PM ET
Volkswagen is on a roll. Its April sales jumped 39% year over year, continuing a trend that has seen its year-to-date sales rise an impressive 38% to 112,489.
The automaker is building momentum for the launch next year of its new plant in Chattanooga, Tenn. -- its first in the U.S. since it closed its Pennsylvania plant in 1988.
A new midsize car will be built there, but the CC will remain the flagship of the VW line in the U.S. Built in Germany, with an engine made in Hungary, its design, drivability, and surprisingly good value help explain why VW is staging an impressive comeback.
Looks are a matter of subjectivity, but to my eye there isn't a more strikingly styled car available for twice the CC's $27,760 base price.
While based on the workaday Passat, the CC bears about as much resemblance to it as Gwyneth Paltrow does to Betty White. Though it is just 0.7 inches longer than the Passat, the CC seems to on forever, an effect created by long flowing lines, a coupe-like silhouette, and a roof that is 2.2 inches lower.
My Sport model was tricked out with 19" alloy wheels ($2,499) and the "ground effects kit," consisting of front valence, side sill extensions, lip spoiler and exhaust tips ($1,999), which brought the as-tested price to $33,058.
The only disappointment was the lack of a sunroof.
The interior upholds a similarly high standard. The corn-silk beige/black leatherette color scheme on my test was impractically susceptible to scratches and spills but was passionate and eye-catching nonetheless.
Customers have clearly noticed. VW sold 2,264 CCs in April, nearly double the sales of the Passat.
The CC's 2.0-liter turbocharged in-line four puts out 200 horsepower and 207 ft-lbs of torque. VW claims a zero-to-sixty time of 6.9 seconds with the six-speed manual, but most of the excitement comes at higher revs. The CC seems geared more for autobahn cruising then on-ramp acceleration. The powertrain is a winner, though, when it comes to fuel economy. The CC gets 21 mpg highway/31 city.
The remarkable sales success of the Hyundai Sonata, which I will review next week, shows the appetite for strikingly styled cars that are as functional as they are attractive. VW could do much worse than to launch an American-made CC at Chattanooga -- but it might have a hard time improving on the German one.
