Looking back over the last couple of years it becomes apparent that I deprived myself of two weeks of very nice motoring, at

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least that’s how I see it after spending a week in Volkswagen’s impressive CC. I don’t remember why a 2014 model and this 2015 CC initially slipped out of my grip and into the lucky hands of another staff writer, the former a 2.0T Sportline and latter this 2.0T Highline, the last one I tested being a 2.0T R-Line, but such was the case and the result a shame, that is until I managed to get into the same 2015 CC 2.0T Highline with its optional Technology package.

I’ve always been a fan of Volkswagen’s sportiest mid-sizer, the lone four-door coupe entry in the entire mainstream volume brand auto sector. Certainly others provide swoopy D-pillars and some even include claustrophobically cramped feeling rear quarters, but the very fact VW offers a large mid-size sedan in its Passat as well as this more streamlined variant sets the brand and car apart in the mass market Volkswagen serves.

There’s

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an argument to be made that VW’s clientele is more premium than average, especially when factoring in its $50k-plus Touareg and the $90k-plus-and-then-some Phaeton that was pulled from North American markets in 2006 yet remained available on other continents ever since (and may return to us in 2018), so it makes sense that the German brand, of all potential entry-level competitors, would create a car that would normally fight it out in the premium class. Mercedes-Benz first imagined the concept in 2002 and then put its CLS to market in 2004 as a 2005 model, its success resulting in an entire four-door coupe segment that now includes entries from Audi, Aston Martin, BMW (which has two, its second being the market’s first compact four-door coupe) and Porsche, lofty company indeed.

Just

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one look and you can see the CC is different. Certainly Volkswagen’s new corporate grille stretches between the car’s headlamps in similar fashion to everything from the lowly Jetta to the aforementioned Passat, Touareg and Phaeton, the latter lenses filled with upscale LED DRLs in VW’s signature pattern, but the rest of the car is slung lower than anything else in the company’s lineup let alone the entire mid-size sedan class. This is most noticeable from profile, where its rear bodywork appears almost liftback-like, but unlike the A7, Rapide and Panamera that use gradually raked hatchback body styles, the CC pays tribute to the original CLS theme that was also adopted by the more recent 6 Series Gran Coupe, with an actual trunk on its backside.

It’s

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no Passat boot, with just 374 litres (13.2 cubic feet) of luggage space instead of 430 (15.2), but it’s quite usable when compared to most coupes. What’s more, 60/40 split-folding rear seatbacks let you grow cargo space into the rear seating area, and folding them down is ultra convenient thanks to two easily accessible levers under the trunk lid that, when tugged, release each seatback before automatically lowering them, unlike most rival systems that still require a walk-around to the rear doors to pull forward manually. Additionally, a pass-through hidden behind the rear armrest frees the outboard seats when longer items like skis are stowed between.

While it could be said that people don’t buy the CC for practical reasons, if you were

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to compare it to a Chevy Camaro, Dodge Challenger, Ford Mustang, Hyundai Genesis Coupe or Scion FR-S/Subaru BRZ, or better yet the more directly competitive mid-size sedan-based Honda Accord Coupe and Nissan Altima Coupe, the four-door CC is a pragmatist’s dream. Those rear doors, which are frameless in coupe fashion like those up front, make sliding into the back seat almost as easy as with the Passat, the CC’s lower roofline and smaller seating area a bit more compromising than the big VeeDub, although my five-foot-eight frame never felt constrained in the extremely comfortable bucket-style outboard positions, with sufficient headroom and legroom not to mention plenty of width for shoulders and hips.

I spent 99.9-percent of my time up front, of course, where roominess is not as much

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of a factor unless you’re particularly tall, although the car’s low driving position and inherent sportiness makes for a cockpit that’s designed to fit more like a glove than the average family sedan. Maybe it’s the fabulous two-tone black and Desert Beige leather covered sport seats that had me feeling so pampered, their side bolsters much more embracing than anything you’ll find in a Passat, backside comfort bordering on sublime and gorgeous styling conjuring memories of Crewe rather than Wolfsburg, the CC rising above most of its “peers” via inside experience alone.

The rest of the interior is a mix of high quality premium finishes and mainstream volume brand-level surfaces. The dash top, for instance, is as good as anything from Audi or BMW, even the section nearest the windshield that wraps all the way around

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the base of the roof pillar and visually meets up with the door uppers is made from the same soft synthetic material, while the door uppers in the rear are skinned in the identical soft pliable overlay. Likewise the armrests are pleasantly padded, as is always the case in the mid-size class, but following this mid-grade theme is a cabin filled with harder plastic surfacing that’s properly suited to consumption en masse. This won’t be a problem if you don’t mind the hollowness of the instrument panel surfaces, the same treatment used for the centre stack panels and lower console surrounds, and a more rugged plastic added to the lower door panels. The result is a premium looking four-door coupe that doesn’t quite measure up to premium materials quality levels, but of course its mid-$30k base price reflects this.

It’s

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hard to knock VW’s wonderful leather-wrapped multifunction three-spoke sport steering wheel, mind you, nor the CC’s beautifully minimalist gauge package, the four aluminum rimmed vents that span the lower edge of the dash top, the upscale titanium-look brushed aluminum trim that runs across the instrument panel just below, bisected by an elegant analog clock, all sitting above the same brushed dark aluminum surfacing the centre stack, which boasts state-of-the-art full-colour high-resolution infotainment, an easy to use three-dial dual-zone automatic climate control system, and a leather-wrapped and skirted gearshift lever next to an aluminum trimmed electronic parking brake and start/stop button. If it weren’t for a row of unused dummy buttons positioned on the other side of the shifter, it would’ve looked like a million.

The base CC can be made to look just as good as my Highline tester being that its leatherette-covered

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seats can be had in the same two-tone effect. Base is called Sportline in VW Canada-speak, while the top-line V6-powered CC is now dubbed Execline. VW has smartly done away with entry-level Trendline trim, with even the least desirable Sportline model featuring automatic HID headlights with adaptive cornering capability and VW’s “coming home” system, the aforementioned LED daytime running lights, front fog lights, LED taillights, proximity-sensing keyless access with pushbutton ignition, an electronic parking brake, an auto-dimming rearview mirror, power-adjustable and heatable side mirrors, rain-sensing variable intermittent wipers with heatable washer nozzles, a leather-wrapped multifunction steering wheel with audio, trip computer, Bluetooth hands-free, and cruise controls, a leather-covered shift knob, a 12-way powered driver’s seat with powered

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lumbar support and an eight-way manually-adjustable front passenger seat with lumbar support, heatable front seats, dual-zone automatic climate control, VW’s Premium 8 touchscreen infotainment/display audio system with an integrated rearview camera, an eight-speaker AM/FM stereo with a six-disc CD changer (a retro feature I happen to love due to better sound quality than MP3s), the brand’s Media Device Interface (MDI) with iPod connectivity (a feature that I happen to loath as there’s no standard USB for powering/connecting my Android phone, just Apple’s proprietary connector that forces you to pay the dealer more for a USB dongle), while an auxiliary input comes standard too, but of course that doesn’t charge squat.

You can up the audio experience with the available Technology package that adds an

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impressive 600-watt 10-speaker Dynaudio system, although CD fans will find their automated selection pared down to a single disc, but then again 30 gigs of hard drive storage space (allowing plenty of high-quality FLAC files) makes up for that quite handily. VW’s excellent navigation system is also included, but oddly you’ll need to first purchase the CC’s $1,400 panoramic glass sunroof to qualify for all this high tech goodness.

The Highline I tested includes the big sunroof standard, while also adding the brushed dark aluminum trim and stunning leather-upholstered sport seats I mentioned earlier. When the sun’s not shining through that glass panel overhead the CC Highline is lit up via classy perimeter lighting, while memory is added to the driver’s seat and 12-way power improves the front passenger’s comfort and convenience. Power-folding side mirrors heighten the CC’s livability, as does a universal

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garage door opener, but my favourite Highline additions include the paddle shifters fixed to the steering wheel spokes and beautiful 18-inch Interlagos alloy wheels that replace the standard model’s five-spoke 17-inch Kent alloys, making this upgraded car’s exterior look especially rich and improving at-the-limit handling that’s already quite good considering a sport suspension comes standard across the line.

You can also upgrade the Highline with the Technology package, a $2,600 addition that features the same Dynaudio stereo and navigation system while adding side assist,

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VW’s electronic lane change warning system that monitors both left and right sides plus up to 50 metres (164 feet) rearward, flashing warning lights on the inside of the mirrors if a potentially dangerous situation is detected.

Remember that empty row of buttons I mentioned a moment ago? It initially made me think that more options were available to fill the void, but after researching what might go there I couldn’t find a single thing. Instead, all of the above is included with top-tier Execline trim, not to mention dual exhaust to go along with its standard 3.6-litre FSI V6 engine featuring 280 horsepower and 265 lb-ft of torque. The first time I tested this powertrain upgrade I noted how much more premium it felt compared to its turbocharged four-cylinder variant, but now that most luxury brands are using turbo-four power to meet evermore-stringent fuel

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economy and emissions regulations the V6 simply feels more energetic off the line while inducing the adrenal glands more effectively.

If the sound of a six and resultant straight-line performance is less important to you than fuel efficiency and reducing your carbon footprint I recommend the 2.0-litre TSI, as its performance is plenty enjoyable thanks to 200 horsepower and 207 lb-ft of torque, the latter from only 1,700 rpm, and its claimed 10.7 L/100km city and 7.7 highway five-cycle EnerGuide fuel economy rating is quite a bit thriftier than the V6 version’s 13.9 city and 9.3 highway numbers. The four-cylinder is a bit thirstier with its six-speed manual at 11.4 L/100km in the city, although it’s more efficient on the highway at 7.4, but this brings up another important point that truly differentiates the CC from mere four-door sedans.

Like

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most others in the sport coupe segment the CC comes standard with a manual gearbox, something that’s becoming hard to get in the family sedan class and when found is normally relegated to ultimately basic entry-level trims. While my tester came fitted with the optional Tiptronic manual-mode equipped dual-clutch automated DSG featuring six quick-shifting forward gears and a very effective Sport mode, which is an excellent transmission that ideally balances performance with smooth, efficient automatic operation, the latter partially due to its electronic differential lock, there’s no way I’d be able to resist the manual gearbox. There’s something about the control of a manual that suits my driving ideal and the wonderfully athletic way the CC’s fully independent sport suspension is set up, and the way the standard cross differential system complements overall handling and traction, would make it especially enjoyable to flick through the gears,

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but on that note I am aware that I’m in the minority because precious few manuals get sold.

Keeping the front strut and rear multilink setup in its chosen lane are stabilizer bars at both ends, electronic stability control, traction control, and a robust set of 312-mm front and 286-mm rear rotors enhanced by performance-tuned ABS, engine braking assist, electronic brake-force distribution, and emergency brake assist. At least as important is standard tire pressure monitoring to make sure the all-season contact patches of the base model’s 235/45R17s or optional 235/40R18s are optimized.

I should probably mention that all CC trims can be “upgraded” to twinned five-spoke 18-inch Mallory alloys that are plenty attractive but don’t do it for me the

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same way as the aforementioned Interlagos rims. These come as part of the $2,350 R-Line package ($2,650 with Sportline trim), which also adds special aluminum doorsill scuff plates, a unique front bumper and extended side skirts, plus a sport steering wheel.

Pricing of the 2015 CC Sportline begins at $36,375 plus $1,600 for freight and pre-delivery prep, whereas the Highline starts at $40,975. Despite its sporty sophistication the Tiptronic DSG adds a very reasonable $1,400 to either Sportline or Highline models, while the Execline, along with its stock six-speed automatic, starts at $50,175. Fully loaded the CC is a perfectly palindromic $52,525 plus freight, which is reason enough to opt for every last feature as such occurrences don’t happen very often.

As

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mentioned earlier a four-door coupe in the mainstream volume sector has only occurred once, which is a more inimitable circumstance than that numeric palindrome the CC’s top-line trim creates, while its relative exclusivity makes it an even scarcer sight coming, going or running back again (sorry, a palindrome joke). The Volkswagen CC is truly a rare jewel that will no doubt soon be copied by the Koreans, the only other mainstream brands bold enough to go head to head with premium players, and when they do a true segment will be born and the CC’s tenure will be a long and rich one. For now the CC is something utterly unique and very deserving of your undivided attention.
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