The Volkswagen Passat CC V6 long-termer is no more with us, having gone back to VW Middle East. Unlike any of our previous borrowed long-term cars, this one will actually be missed. It was easily among the best all-round midsize sedans we’ve ever driven, if not the best.
As a last hurrah before our 2012 Volkswagen Passat CC rides off into the sunset, we decided to properly check out what sort of fuel economy numbers it was capable of getting. Being a 300 hp all-wheel-drive midsize sedan had to be a fuel hog, right?
We’ve had our V6-powered 2012 Volkswagen Passat CC for more than four months now. But it’s only today that we finally decided to take it out for a 0-100 kph flog. Truth be told, we always thought the CC was quick, but not that quick. But we were totally flabbergasted when the timings came in, so much so that we couldn’t wait to share it.
The last few weeks were pretty awful in terms of weather. Daily sandstorms took a toll on cars in Dubai. It was even worse when, you think the worst of the dusty weather is over so you wash your car, and then there is yet another dust-storm the next day. Frustrating indeed. And it took a toll on a car’s performance too.
Our Volkswagen Passat CC had taken a back seat for the last month as we fiddled around with, what else, other Volkswagens. We drove the VW Phaeton and the VW Passat Ecofuel recently, and we have become quite familiar with Volkswagen DNA by now. Of course, we’ve come to realise that the Passat CC is indeed tuned to be sportier than other sedans in their fleet, as our car rides a wee bit firmer than either of those cars, while taking corners with much more confidence. But does it make a good highway cruiser?
The fact that the Volkswagen CC is just a chopped-top version of the regular Passat would mean that space would be compromised. But that’s hardly the case.
Our 2012 Volkswagen Passat CC long-termer came back last week, having spent a few weeks at the dealership getting its front fender repaired after a hit-and-run incident. It looks new again, and with a broken-in engine, it drives even better.
If you keep track of automotive news, you’ll know that the facelifted new “2013” Volkswagen CC has just been unveiled. It gets a straight new corporate face and some LED-specific enhancements. And from what we can see, our “older” CC arguably looks better. Of course, it will take a while before the redone model reaches UAE shores, so we’ll reserve judgement for now. Right now, we had to deal with our car becoming the victim of a hit-and-run accident.
Our freebie Volkswagen Passat CC has now completed its break-in period, so we’re finally getting to open up the throttle and listen to that 3.6-litre V6. The same engine powers the new VW Touareg as well as the pricey Porsche Cayenne V6, and we loved the motor in those SUVs.
Back in the early days of summer this year, we asked Volkswagen Middle East if they’d be interested in providing us with a long-term car. We were fine with any car, as long as it was for a decent amount of time, and we even offered to pay part of the cost. They soon got back to us, offered us a VW Passat CC V6 for no cost, and even let us choose the colour. While we didn’t ask for any specific colour, we found it rather astounding that VW would import a brand-new unmolested car from Germany just for our test.