I first spied this vehicle at this year’s AJAC TestFest and I have to say that it impressed me no end. In my eyes, the Passat has always been a good vehicle, especially if you’re looking for a highway cruising machine as it’s held a great reputation for that for as long as I can remember. In fact, I owned a Passat wagon many years ago and was totally flabbergasted by the fuel economy I got out of such a large vehicle on long runs. I guess you could call it the perfect German Autobahn machine.

Mind you, there’s one problem which I’ve noticed with past models and that is the designs were often rather functional looking, and a tad on the boring side. Well, somebody at Volkswagen must have been reading my mind because the new Passat CC is anything but.

From a distance, especially from the side, it could easily be mistaken for a high-end Mercedes model. In fact, it bears an uncanny resemblance to a few vehicles in the current lineup from the famous three pointed star (Think bargain priced M-B CLS).

Described by many as a four-door coupe, which I don’t confess to understand, its long sweeping sidelines certainly make this vehicle stand out. In fact, the view from the side almost makes the front look plain. It isn’t, it’s just that they made the sides so elegant looking that the front of the vehicle pales in comparison. Mind you, if you think about it, most of us spend more time entering the vehicle from the side than we ever do admiring the front, so I suppose it makes perfect sense to concentrate on the most viewed angle.

The stylish 17 inch aluminum wheels which my tester carried certainly added to the look, and again, this is a marked improvement over previous models.

We now come to the interior, and I was again pleasantly surprised. The high bolstered leather front seats are some of the most comfortable and sporty looking seats that I’ve ever encountered. In fact, they wouldn’t look out of place in something like the Audi TT.

The layout of the dash is rather flowing in design and gives the impression of a much larger vehicle, although the brushed aluminum accents take a little getting used to. I’ve never truly liked what I’ve often referred to as “the inside of a Coke Cola can look”. Maybe that’s just me, but personally I would have preferred another material, perhaps a little wood grain, or am I just showing my age there (Note: The base model doesn’t carry the alloy look...Mmm!).

Volkswagen designs some of the best interior layouts in the business, and that’s a fact. Things always seem to fall readily to hand and you don’t have to be a brain surgeon to figure out the controls. The New Passat CC lives up to this image with clean looking and easy to read displays, and most of the controls are the familiar twist-knob style which, in my opinion, are the easiest to operate.

The interior of the Passat CC offers plenty of legroom for both front and rear seat passengers, and as I’ve previously mentioned, the seating is extremely comfortable. The rear compartment of my tester had been designed with two bucket seats and a centre console for drinks etc. This idea may put off one or two family buyers but it does make for an extremely comfortable four-seater touring vehicle.