B7 CC

Along with a sleeker nose, different tail and technologically enhanced engines, the Volkswagen dubbed ‘a poor man’s Mercedes CLS’ dropped the Passat prefix from its name for its 2012 makeover.

Simply called CC and sold from an identical $54,990 for the 125TDI diesel (and $10,000 more for the all-wheel drive 132FSI 4Motion), the pillarless four-door hardtop received a slew of previously optional equipment as standard to help spice up its showroom appeal.

These included satellite-navigation, a rear-view camera, a driver fatigue alert system, higher-specification front seats with head restraints that pull forward as well as raise and lower for added comfort, electric 12-way front seat adjustment and bi-Xenon high-intensity discharge headlights.

Also thrown in at no charge was a three-seat rear bench instead of the previous model’s contoured twin-seat design.

Along with a new three-slat chrome grille came redesigned headlights with static and dynamic cornering capabilities and LED daytime-running lights, a different bonnet pressing, restyled bumpers front and rear, more pronounced side sill mouldings and a thick chrome garnish out back.

Other changes included a different climate control panel, new trims and colours, as well as better soundproofing, aided by an acoustic film windscreen appliqué.

Only two configurations were again offered.

In the base 125TDI, driving the front wheels via a six-speed dual-clutch transmission is a 2.0-litre common-rail injection four-cylinder turbo-diesel fitted with idle-stop to save fuel, pumping out 125kW of power at 4200rpm and 350Nm of torque from 1750rpm to 2500rpm.

The V6 FSI features a 3.6-litre direct-injection petrol V6 delivering 220kW at 6600rpm and 350Nm from 2400rpm to 5300rpm to all four wheels.