Turning a Volkswagen Passat into a svelte and elegant coupé seems an odd thing to do. Almost from the moment it was born, the Passat has embraced its role as an all-purpose workhorse without apology. There’s nothing flash about a Passat, nothing glamorous: Passats don’t stir the soul or weaken the knees – they just get on with doing everyday tasks to the best of their usually considerable abilities. What on earth, then, possessed Volkswagen to slip it into a slinky evening gown and send it down the automotive catwalk?
The Mercedes CLS, that’s what. The inspired saloon repackaged as a coupé brought a swathe of new image-conscious buyers to the sober executive car market in 2004. Volkswagen, forever trying to break free of its homespun image, saw a great idea and, er, nicked it.
The new Passat CC is a realistic and certainly more affordable brand-builder than the company’s other attempt to go upmar-ket, the Phaeton. It’s here to show there’s more to the Passat than a big boot, strong residuals and the promise of going 10 times around the world without ever going wrong.