Sydney show: Vee-Dub’s Darling effort

VOLKSWAGEN had something borrowed, something blue and something hot at this morning’s reveal at the Australian International Motor Show, with the unveiling of the Passat CC, Bluemotion technology Polo and Passat, and keenly awaited Golf GTI Pirelli.

Borrowing the ‘coupe sedan’ style of the highly successful Mercedes-Benz CLS, the Passat CC made its local debut at the Sydney event, ahead of the car’s expected launch at the beginning of next year.

Two V6s mated to a six-speed DSG dual-clutch gearbox will be in the offing, with the 3.0-litre TDI turbo-diesel delivering 125kW of power and 350Nm of torque to the front wheels, while the 220kW/350Nm 3.6-litre FSI petrol will drive the 4Motion all-wheel drive version.

Both CCs will include four heated, Napa leather-covered seats, as well as climate-control, brushed aluminium cabin trim, power adjustable front seats, eight airbags, front and rear proximity sensors, and eight airbags.

‘Something Blue’ is the first appearance of Volkswagen’s Bluemotion eco badge but could also describe how fans of the more frugal Volkswagens might feel, since Bluemotion models will not arrive into Australia for the foreseeable future – or until automatic transmission models are made available.

Nevertheless, Volkswagen presented a current European-specification Polo Bluemotion and Passat Bluemotion as it seeks to gauge the Australian public’s reaction to the sub-brand.

Left: Volkswagen Passat CC.

The smaller car uses a 59kW/195Nm 1.4-litre three-cylinder TDI turbo-diesel unit fitted with a diesel particulate filter, paired with a five-speed manual gearbox.

The result is a combined fuel consumption figure of 3.8L/100km and a CO2 emissions output of just 99g/km – aided by optimised aerodynamic additions to the Polo that include a mildly modified front-end and low rolling-resistance tyres.

An 81kW/250Nm 2.0-litre four-cylinder common-rail turbo-diesel engine with a particulate filter is fitted to the Passat Bluemotion, driving the front wheels via a five-speed manual gearbox with altered gear ratios for the best efficiency gains.

Also helped along by improved aerodynamic detailing, the big Volkswagen can achieve 4.9L/100km and a CO2 figure of 128g/km.

Meanwhile, the most sought-after version of the hugely successful Golf GTI burst onto the Australian new-car scene in Sydney earlier today in the guise of the Pirelli limited edition.

Taking its name from a version of the original Mk1 Golf GTI launched in 1983 in Europe but never sold in Australia, the Pirelli was an early cross-promotion special for the Italian tyre maker’s new P-series rubber.

Today’s version is based on the outgoing Mk5 GTI and includes an upgrade of the turbocharged 2.0-litre FSI petrol engine (from 147kW to 169kW) for a 6.6-second standing 100km/h sprint time and a 245km/h top speed.

It also wears new-generation Pirelli P-Zero tyres on unique alloy wheels, slightly different exterior and cabin trim, and a significant interior specification and presentation upgrade to help justify the $47,490 starting price commanded by the three-door version ($48,990 for the five-door version).

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