Volkswagen unveiled its Passat CC "four-door coupe" for 2009 and beyond. Like the Mercedes-Benz CLS which sparked this emerging segment, the Passat CC seats four, providing easier access to the rear seats than a two-door coupe.

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The car is over an inch longer and 1.5 inches wider than the Passat sedan. Its overall height is over two inches lower, most of which has been subtracted from the car's roofline to create a much sleeker appearance.

Newly developed for the Passat CC is an electrically actuated Panorama sunroof, which provides a large glass area over the entire front half of the roof.

Both the front and rear seats have been improved for comfort, with the driver and passenger seats gaining active ventilation for heating and cooling.

Engines

Two engine choices are available to U.S. buyers. The first is a 2.0-liter TSI diesel delivering 200 horsepower at 5100 rpm and 206 pound-feet of torque starting from 1800 rpm. with this motor, VW says the Passat CC is capable of reaching 62 mph in 7.6 seconds.

The more powerful engine is a 3.6-liter gasoline V6 FSI, offering 300 horsepower at 6600 rpm and 266 pound-feet of torque at 2500 rpm. The sprint to 62 mph takes 6.6 seconds.

The Passat CC 3.6 V6 FSI is offered with full-time 4Motion all-wheel drive as standard equipment. The European version is offered with a DSG dual-clutch transmission, while the North American edition is only available with a six-speed Tiptronic automatic.

Dynamic Drive Control

The CC features VW's Dynamic Drive Control adjustable suspension that offers "Normal", "Sport" and "Comfort" modes. Starting with one of those three basic settings, the suspension constantly adapts to the roadway and the driving situation. DDC also reacts to acceleration, braking and steering inputs.

Lane Assist and Automatic Distance Control

Like many cars on the market today, the Passat CC features a radar-based cruise control system to regulate the distance from cars ahead. "ACC Automatic Distance Control" automatically brakes and accelerates within a speed range input by the car driver beforehand.

Another high-tech feature includes the new "Lane Assist" technology, which will automatically (and gently) steer the car back into its lane if it starts to drift out slightly. As long as the driver does not deactivate the system, Lane Assist starts at 40 mph.

It works by detecting lane markings via a camera in the vicinity of the inside mirror or rain sensor. It does not matter whether the lines are continuous or broken as in the case of a center stripe. "Lane Assist" also operates in darkness or fog.

As soon as the system indicates that the car is leaving the ideal line, "Lane Assist" counters by softly steering in the opposite direction.

If drivers take their hands off the steering wheel completely, the system detects this and issues a warning, both acoustic and by vibration, to request that the driver resume control, and then the system switches itself off.

The driver can "override" the "Lane Assist" steering with very little force. The lane keeping assistant does not react when the driver activates the turn signal before crossing over a lane marker.