The new 2009 VW CC Gold Coast special edition, unveiled this week at the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance, is German bread-and-butter car maker VW's latest attempt to move the brand up-market. Volkswagen cars today are known for comfortable and stylish interiors, decent performance and a fit and finish level equal to or greater than their direct competitors. The Volkswagen CC is VW's entry into the so-called "4-door coupe" market now populated by the Mercedes-Benz CLS-class and upcoming BMW Gran Turismo, among others.
How a Passat with a snarling aero kit and a roof chop job ends up being called a coupe is beyond us. Still, the 2009 CC Gold Coast does make for one attractive performance sedan--yes, we refuse to call it a coupe.
While the body styling and appointments lead to comparisons to the Mercedes-Benz CLS, the 2009 Volkswagen CC Gold Coast, and the standard CC models coming to the United States, fall into an entirely different class. With a base price under $27,000 for the base model CC, you could take home 3 of 'em by the time you were out the door with a Mercedes-Benz CLS. The BMW Gran Turismo, slotted above the 7 Series, should carry an even greater base price.
Final 2009 CC Gold Coast performance specs have not yet been released, though with a 3.6 Liter TFSI direct-injection 6 cylinder similar to the power plants in Audi's latest TFSI A4, the CC Gold Coast will be no slouch. The VW CC Gold Coast also offers the more sporting drivers a 6 Speed DSG transmission, which will run in fully automatic mode as well.
The interior? The CC Gold Coast certainly offers luxury features looking more Audi than VW, but the interior design is boring and sterile. The Gold Coast's near luxury look doesn't quite succeed, with cheap-looking wood trim and two tone leather that fails to create a pampered, German luxury car feeling. And, despite the CC Gold Coast's sporting credentials, not a hint of "performance car" has found its way into the ho-hum interior.
Like the failed Volkswagen Phaeton, it is not completely clear the target market for the 2009 VW CC line. However, unlike the Phaeton, the CC will be affordable to Volkswagen's traditional customer base. Whether this "4 door coupe" will find its niche in the crowded premium mid-size market remains to be seen, but for the price the 2009 Volkswagen CC Gold Coast is overall a solid contender.
SPECIAL EDITION CC GOLD COAST DEBUTS AT PEBBLE BEACH
Official VW of America Press Release
Volkswagen's new CC four-door coupé provides sports car dynamics with a luxury touch
PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. - To kick off the market launch of the new CC, Volkswagen of America, Inc. will debut a CC Gold Coast edition at the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance, August 15-17. The CC Gold Coast highlights the luxury sports coupe with powerful performance, strong lines and luxury touches combining the emotional and expressive stance of a sports coupé with the convenience of a luxury sedan.
"The CC Gold Coast builds upon the luxury sports coupe that debuted at the 2008 North American International Auto Show," said Derek Jenkins, Chief Designer at Volkswagen's Santa Monica, California Design Center. "We've added luxury and performance extras like tri-coat paint, high-end interior appointments, and ground affects that enhance the sportiness of our newest sedan." The unmistakable Volkswagen front-end, with two cross-struts and a centrally placed Volkswagen logo between trapezoidal headlamps is highlighted by the ground effects on the CC Gold Coast. A high-end tri-coat paint, DuPont's Pepe Pepper, features a rich mix of gold, brown and silver tones that compliment the cars design characteristics.
The rear end of the coupé is also marked by large-surface dual taillights that produce an unmistakable visual image day and night. A spoiler with additional rear-end ground effects helps further enhance the vehicle's sporty nature. The CC Gold Coast sits on 19 inch propeller style wheels, which provide a combination of sharp style and improved curb appeal. Volkswagen's attention to detail is shown off in the interior of the CC Gold Coast with four ergonomically formed sport seats wrapped in luxurious leather, a combination of Latte Macchiatto, Cornsilk with Bronze Piping on the seats with matching accents on the dash and door trim.
The CC Gold Coast edition features the 3.6L TFSI, rated at 280 horsepower and 265lbs.-ft of torque, with the innovative DSG double-clutch 6-speed automatic transmission with Tiptronic, yet another example of the car's dual nature. The DSG system not only offers the driver the advantage of choosing between fully automatic operation or full manual selection, DSG also changes gears more quickly and smoothly than a conventional transmission, while improving fuel economy.
The CC comes to U.S. market in the fourth quarter of 2008, with a starting price under $27,000.
Volkswagen of America, Inc.
Volkswagen of America, Inc. recently announced Electronic Stability Program (ESP) as standard equipment on all its 2009 vehicles. As a result, Volkswagen is one of the only original equipment manufacturers to offer an electronic stability control system on their entire product line - ahead of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's (NHTSA) deadline requiring vehicles in the 2012 model year to include stability control systems. Volkswagen's ESP technology works in conjunction with anti-lock brakes and helps reduce loss of control and rollovers to avoid crashes. NHTSA predicts nearly 10,000 lives could be saved each year if automakers included stability systems as standard equipment.
Founded in 1955, Volkswagen of America, Inc. is headquartered in Herndon, Va. It is a subsidiary of Volkswagen AG, headquartered in Wolfsburg, Germany. Volkswagen is one of the world's largest producers of passenger cars and Europe's largest automaker. Volkswagen sells the Rabbit, New Beetle, New Beetle convertible, GTI, Jetta, Jetta SportWagen, GLI, Passat, Passat wagon, Eos, Tiguan and Touareg through approximately 600 independent U.S. dealers. Visit Volkswagen of America online at vw.com.
How a Passat with a snarling aero kit and a roof chop job ends up being called a coupe is beyond us. Still, the 2009 CC Gold Coast does make for one attractive performance sedan--yes, we refuse to call it a coupe.
While the body styling and appointments lead to comparisons to the Mercedes-Benz CLS, the 2009 Volkswagen CC Gold Coast, and the standard CC models coming to the United States, fall into an entirely different class. With a base price under $27,000 for the base model CC, you could take home 3 of 'em by the time you were out the door with a Mercedes-Benz CLS. The BMW Gran Turismo, slotted above the 7 Series, should carry an even greater base price.
Final 2009 CC Gold Coast performance specs have not yet been released, though with a 3.6 Liter TFSI direct-injection 6 cylinder similar to the power plants in Audi's latest TFSI A4, the CC Gold Coast will be no slouch. The VW CC Gold Coast also offers the more sporting drivers a 6 Speed DSG transmission, which will run in fully automatic mode as well.
The interior? The CC Gold Coast certainly offers luxury features looking more Audi than VW, but the interior design is boring and sterile. The Gold Coast's near luxury look doesn't quite succeed, with cheap-looking wood trim and two tone leather that fails to create a pampered, German luxury car feeling. And, despite the CC Gold Coast's sporting credentials, not a hint of "performance car" has found its way into the ho-hum interior.
Like the failed Volkswagen Phaeton, it is not completely clear the target market for the 2009 VW CC line. However, unlike the Phaeton, the CC will be affordable to Volkswagen's traditional customer base. Whether this "4 door coupe" will find its niche in the crowded premium mid-size market remains to be seen, but for the price the 2009 Volkswagen CC Gold Coast is overall a solid contender.
SPECIAL EDITION CC GOLD COAST DEBUTS AT PEBBLE BEACH
Official VW of America Press Release
Volkswagen's new CC four-door coupé provides sports car dynamics with a luxury touch
PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. - To kick off the market launch of the new CC, Volkswagen of America, Inc. will debut a CC Gold Coast edition at the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance, August 15-17. The CC Gold Coast highlights the luxury sports coupe with powerful performance, strong lines and luxury touches combining the emotional and expressive stance of a sports coupé with the convenience of a luxury sedan.
"The CC Gold Coast builds upon the luxury sports coupe that debuted at the 2008 North American International Auto Show," said Derek Jenkins, Chief Designer at Volkswagen's Santa Monica, California Design Center. "We've added luxury and performance extras like tri-coat paint, high-end interior appointments, and ground affects that enhance the sportiness of our newest sedan." The unmistakable Volkswagen front-end, with two cross-struts and a centrally placed Volkswagen logo between trapezoidal headlamps is highlighted by the ground effects on the CC Gold Coast. A high-end tri-coat paint, DuPont's Pepe Pepper, features a rich mix of gold, brown and silver tones that compliment the cars design characteristics.
The rear end of the coupé is also marked by large-surface dual taillights that produce an unmistakable visual image day and night. A spoiler with additional rear-end ground effects helps further enhance the vehicle's sporty nature. The CC Gold Coast sits on 19 inch propeller style wheels, which provide a combination of sharp style and improved curb appeal. Volkswagen's attention to detail is shown off in the interior of the CC Gold Coast with four ergonomically formed sport seats wrapped in luxurious leather, a combination of Latte Macchiatto, Cornsilk with Bronze Piping on the seats with matching accents on the dash and door trim.
The CC Gold Coast edition features the 3.6L TFSI, rated at 280 horsepower and 265lbs.-ft of torque, with the innovative DSG double-clutch 6-speed automatic transmission with Tiptronic, yet another example of the car's dual nature. The DSG system not only offers the driver the advantage of choosing between fully automatic operation or full manual selection, DSG also changes gears more quickly and smoothly than a conventional transmission, while improving fuel economy.
The CC comes to U.S. market in the fourth quarter of 2008, with a starting price under $27,000.
Volkswagen of America, Inc.
Volkswagen of America, Inc. recently announced Electronic Stability Program (ESP) as standard equipment on all its 2009 vehicles. As a result, Volkswagen is one of the only original equipment manufacturers to offer an electronic stability control system on their entire product line - ahead of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's (NHTSA) deadline requiring vehicles in the 2012 model year to include stability control systems. Volkswagen's ESP technology works in conjunction with anti-lock brakes and helps reduce loss of control and rollovers to avoid crashes. NHTSA predicts nearly 10,000 lives could be saved each year if automakers included stability systems as standard equipment.
Founded in 1955, Volkswagen of America, Inc. is headquartered in Herndon, Va. It is a subsidiary of Volkswagen AG, headquartered in Wolfsburg, Germany. Volkswagen is one of the world's largest producers of passenger cars and Europe's largest automaker. Volkswagen sells the Rabbit, New Beetle, New Beetle convertible, GTI, Jetta, Jetta SportWagen, GLI, Passat, Passat wagon, Eos, Tiguan and Touareg through approximately 600 independent U.S. dealers. Visit Volkswagen of America online at vw.com.
