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The late 2000s saw an influx of new cars described as ‘four door coupes’ - essentially, saloons with a more dramatic roofline that traded some practicality for a little more style. The Volkswagen Passat CC was among the first, making its debut in 2008, with the model then renamed the Volkswagen CC at its 2012 facelift until it went off sale in 2016.
That’s the car you see here, and while the earliest examples are now more than a decade old, the CC still looks fresh. If you need the practicality and economy offered in abundance by the regular Passat but also need to feel just a little special each time you take a glance at the driveway, then the CC could be the car for you.
The CC was replaced by the Volkswagen Arteon in 2017 and if you’ve got the budget, that’s also worth a look. The Audi A5 Sportback and BMW 4 Series Gran Coupe are the most direct alternatives, while earlier examples of that other four-door coupe pioneer of the 2000s, the Mercedes-Benz CLS, are now very affordable too.
Like its successor, the Volkswagen Arteon, the Passat CC is the ideal car for someone who doesn’t want to abandon the idea of practical transport entirely - leading you down the road of a conventional coupe, or roadster, or similar - but also doesn’t need a full five seats or vast carrying capacity. After all, regular saloons, estates, and SUVs will handle that.
The CC is somewhere in the middle, broadly as practical as a saloon but more stylish thanks to its swooping roofline. It’ll still seat four adults comfortably, and as a family car kids will have no problems in the back - though the slim windows mean it might feel a little gloomy compared to a regular saloon. And the centre seat is largely useless - treat the CC as a four-seater with a decent (532-litre) boot and you’ll be fine.
The cabin design itself isn’t the most interesting but in true VW style it’s well-built and logically laid out, while the standard well-bolstered sports seats are comfortable despite fairly firm cushions. The view forwards is fine but it’s a little restricted to the rear - making the parking sensors of GT spec and above well worth having.
To drive the CC does the job, riding firmly but not uncomfortably and having enough control that you can crack along at a decent rate with minimal effort. It’s not exciting as such, but the engines perform well and the XDS differential in more potent models keeps wheel-scrabble to a minimum.
If you do want more fun from your swoopy saloon then a BMW 4-Series is probably the closest alternative along a similar theme, and the badge appeal of the Audi A5 Sportback can’t be ignored either. A Volvo S60 of similar age has a similarly sporty profile but it too prioritises comfort over fun - and if you have the budget for something newer, the later Volkswagen Arteon is even more dramatically styled.
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As far as the CC’s trim levels go, we’d aim for GT models and above when shopping. The regular CC is well equipped, but the GT’s front and rear parking sensors help make up for the tricky rearward visibility when parking, and the leather trim, privacy glass and larger alloy wheels all make it feel just a little more special, which surely is the point of choosing the CC over a regular Passat.
All the CC’s engines are pretty good so you can’t go too far wrong, but as usual the more powerful diesels give the car an effortless gait that suits its sleek styling, particularly with the DSG automatic gearbox. The TSI 210 is a rarer find, but worth snapping up if you do - the engine is the same as that in the contemporary Golf GTI, so it’s a strong performer and feels a little like a GTI in a smarter suit.
Volkswagen made small adjustments to the CC’s specification during its time on sale but the range broadly included the three variants below, with the occasional special edition or colour theme. Equipment levels were strong across the range, though it’s worth noting that some features are engine-dependent, such as VW’s XDS differential lock - available only on TDI 170 and TSI 210 among earlier versions, and only on the TDI 184 for later models. Likewise, the standard infotainment system received a useful upgrade in features and size in later cars.
The Volkswagen CC’s dimensions are:
The Volkswagen CC’s boot size is:
All Volkswagen CCs predate the changes in VED or ‘road tax’ that brought in a flat rate in April 2017, which means all models have tax ratings based on their CO2 emissions. This puts diesel versions and the later 1.4 TSI at an advantage, and cheapest of all to tax should be the later 2.0 TDI 150 with the manual gearbox - its 118g/km rating means tax is currently just £35 per year. Several models are in the next band up with a £150 bill, while most expensive is the DSG-equipped 2.0 TSI 210, its 182g/km resulting in a £320 annual fee.
Insurance rates are about what you might expect for a car of the CC’s size and performance. The range as a whole spans insurance groups 23 to 32, with the early TDI 140 at the lower end of that scale and the TSI 210 in R-Line trim at the top. The later Volkswagen Arteon has very similar ratings, with a range covering groups 21 to 32.
Read our full Volkswagen CC review