| First Drive | Herts, England | VW Passat CC GT 2.0 TDI |

Good as cars in the Passat's class are none of them are exactly alluring in the looks department. Volkswagen thinks it's spotted an opportunity and created the Passat CC, a sleeker four-door that apes Mercedes' genre-bending CLS in calling itself a coupé. We're not so sure about that title, but it's certainly a good-looking four-door.

In the Metal

The Passat CC really does spice up the family/fleet car market it competes in. Unmistakably it's a Passat, but with the sort of sleek profile and bold feature lines that make it look like the early design sketches for the regular Passat - before the packaging people and bean counters got involved. Only the CC has made it through to production, perhaps as the Passat should have always been. A handsome car, the Passat CC's lines are exaggerated over its more mundane relative, with a large grille, prominent headlamps and low arcing roofline giving it real presence and class.

Volkswagen might badge it CC, one of those Cs for 'Coupé' the other for 'Comfort', but it's still obviously a four-door. That makes it an appealing choice in its class, particularly as Volkswagen hasn't gone too wild on the pricing - the CC costing only a few thousand pounds more than its more forgettable regular Passat relative.

What you get for your Money

Essentially the CC is nothing more than a sleeker-bodied Passat. Even so we reckon it's worth the small premium Volkswagen charges for it. There are a few differences inside to the fascia and the CC rides on lower, more sporting suspension. The CC was also the first car to feature Volkswagen's ACC (Adaptive Chassis Control) with variable suspension settings, this coming as standard on the GT models. The CC feels more special overall too, it standing out in its class as a more distinctive, individual choice.

Driving it

The special feeling translates to being behind the wheel too. Looking out of the windscreen from the lower, more cocooned interior gives the Passat CC a premium, sporting feel that's unusual in its class - helped by Volkswagen's excellent sports seats. It feels different on the road too; thanks to that suspension the CC is tauter, more direct and more involving to drive than the regular Passat. Fitted with Volkswagen's 138bhp turbodiesel the performance is stronger than the 9.8 second 0-62mph time suggests, feeling particularly rapid in the mid-range. Refinement is significantly improved too since Volkswagen adopted common rail injection on its diesels.

Worth Noting

That turbodiesel unit not only gives decent performance, but also a combined economy figure of 48.7mpg and CO₂ of 153g/km. Those figures are no different to the conventional saloon. You do make some sacrifices for style with the CC though: the boot access is smaller and it's not quite as spacious inside either. It's a small price to pay for the CC's good looks and premium feel.

Summary

We were a touch sceptical about the CC when Volkswagen first introduced it, but it's won us over. Not only is it among the best looking cars in its class, but it also stands out among more premium competition. The CC also drives well, and Volkswagen hasn't loaded a huge premium onto the price, making it an even more alluring choice. Expect others to follow, the Passat CC likely to spawn a host of imitators as manufacturers try to cash in on Volkswagen's new niche.