Detroit show: VW builds a luxury Passat

THE nameplate misleadingly suggests that Volkswagen has created a large coupe-convertible version of its medium sedan, but the Passat CC is nothing of the sort.

Instead, the production car is a luxury four-seat version of the Passat with a “stance” of a coupe and a bigger-than-normal sunroof.

The German manufacturer claims the vehicle debuts a new exterior design theme for Passat, along with “new comfort, safety and dynamic” technologies.

The latter includes lane-changing and automatic parking assist technologies, as seen on rival European and Japanese cars.

The CC is longer and wider than the standard Passat, measuring 4796mm in overall length (up 31mm) and 1856mm in width (up 36mm).

The coupe-like profile sees overall height reduce 50mm, while the front/rear track increase 11mm/16mm.

Air suspension debuts under the Dynamic Drive Control (DDC) heading, while the interior has a new design and higher standard of appointments than ever seen before on Volkswagen wearing a Passat badge.

Power will come from three petrol and two diesel engines, ranging from a basic 1.8-litre petrol (driving the front wheels) to a 3.6-litre V6 AWD petrol. Australian deliveries are expected to begin in the second quarter.