The term black sheep is used to describe someone that is either odd or despicable, especially in terms of a family. Take into consideration Volkswagen. The past 15 years or so have seen a number of black sheep in their lineup. The best example is the Phaeton. Introduced in 2004 as competitor to the Mercedes-Benz S-Class and its ilk, the Phaeton was over-engineered and came with impressive luxury features. The problem was convincing people that it was ok to spend $80,000+ on a Volkswagen and was pulled out a few years after its introduction. Then there is the CC. Arriving to the lineup in 2008, the CC was one of the first vehicles to capitalize on the four-door coupe trend. But the past few years have seen the CC fade into the Volkswagen lineup, with the likes of the Jetta and Golf in the spotlight. So why has the CC almost gone into obscurity? I spent a week in the 2015 CC Sport 2.0T to find out.
Walking around the CC, you can’t help but think this is possibly the best looking Volkswagen in quite a while. The basic shape hasn’t changed much since it first introduced. A low-slung front end flows into a side profile with a high beltline and sloping roofline. The back has a short deck and a clean looking trunklid with a large VW emblem which conceals the backup camera - the emblem opens up at an angle to reveal the camera. The only real items of change are up front where Volkswagen swapped the grille, air intake, and headlights to bring it more in line with the current lineup.
Moving inside, the CC has the air of a luxury vehicle. Soft-touch plastic finished in black and faux aluminum trim give a premium feeling to the vehicle. Controls are within easy reach of the driver and passenger, and have a solid feel to them. The Sport is the base model in the CC lineup, but it doesn’t feel like it with the amount of standard equipment fitted to it. There is leatherette with power adjustments for the front seats, dual-zone climate control, heated seats, a five-inch touchscreen with navigation, Bluetooth, HID headlights, and automatic wipers. I do have to call out the five-inch touchscreen. If you have checked out any of my previous Volkswagen reviews, then you know I hate this system as the screen is too small to hit the touch points and the graphics look dated.
In the back, you’ll find a bench seat and not the two seat layout that the original CC came with. This was to make the CC somewhat more practical. Sitting in the back, I found legroom to be generous, while headroom was very much at a premium due to the sloping roofline. Also the high beltline does increase the feeling of being cramped.
See Page 2 for Powertrain and Handling Thoughts
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