Volkswagen CC (2012 – 2017) Review

When Volkswagen updated the CC in 2012, it dropped the Passat part of the name to emphasise the car’s four-door coupe status in its range. It certainly works as a stylish family car with flair thanks to the looks and engines in the line-up that offer everything from frugal to fast. At heart, it’s still a Passat, so you also get a comfortable ride and decent handling, good refinement and excellent build quality. Admittedly, the CC isn’t quite as desirable as an Audi A5, but it’s cost-effective to run and own while delivering a dash of everyday chic.

Volkswagen dropped the Passat part of the CC’s name when the new model pitched up in 2012. This was a deliberate attempt to distance the four-door coupe model from its more humdrum mainstream sister, yet buyers were not fooled then and they are not now.

While Volkswagen may have been embarrassed by the CC’s Passat origins, there’s nothing wrong with this in our book as the Passat was one of the most capable family cars of its period. It follows the CC is also very able and it comes with a welcome extra sporting glint in its headlight thanks to its looks and the way it drives.

The engine range comprised 1.8-litre TSI 160PS or 2.0-litre TSI 210PS petrols and a 2.0-litre TDI common rail diesel with either 140PS, 170PS and 184PS. Each version of the TDI was offered with fuel saving BlueMotion Technology.

Plus, all models with 170PS or more have an XDS differential as standard. This is the same system that features on the Golf GTI and uses the electronic traction control system to improve cornering and traction. See, we told you it had a more sporting side than the Passat on which it’s based.

Of course, the most obvious expression of this sporty nature is the CC’s coupe styling. Unlike other car makers that use the CC moniker to denote a coupe-cabriolet model, the VW CC is very much a fixed roof machine. It has four doors, in the same mould as the Mercedes CLS or BMW 6 Series Gran Coupe, both cars that VW hoped its CC buyers would aspire to even if their budgets didn’t quite stretch that far.

As a result, the CC ended up being a one-off in the family car class with no direct rivals. The Kia Stinger arrived after the CC had been replaced by the Arteon, so it is set in aspic as an unusual detour for Volkswagen and one that still holds an appeal today for those who fancy the idea of a Scirocco but need more practicality.

The front cabin is very similar to the contemporary Passat’s, which is no bad thing as it’s precisely laid out and well made. The rear has frameless doors just like the front pair and they open to reveal a rear with only two proper seats and very slim centre pew.

This limits versatility to some degree, but then coupe buyers are less likely to have that as a top priority. Read headroom is not as good as the Passat saloon’s, but it’s certainly not poor. There’s also a decent boot, so the CC makes a sound case for itself.

All models come with touchscreen sat nav, DAB digital radio, iPod and Bluetooth connectivity, two-zone climate control, 17-inch alloy wheels and xenon headlights. Again, this gives the CC a good slice of buyer appeal.

There isn’t quite the fluid feel of a BMW 3 Series here, but the CC rarely feels like it’s crashing into a pothole unless you have the later R Line model. With the GT and R Line models, you get the ACC active chassis control set-up that offers a choice of Normal, Comfort and Sport settings for the suspension. 

It can also pick its way along twisty roads relatively well. Again, it’s no BMW 3 Series, but it can be decent fun if you opt for the more powerful petrol or diesel models that have the XDS electronic differential that quells wheelspin in tighter corners and makes the CC more entertaining to drive.

The 150PS 1.4 TSI unit. is both turbo- and supercharged. It’s fun to push this engine quite hard, but the larger 1.8-litre turbo petrol with 160PS is the better bet. Both were offered with manual or twin-clutch DSG auto gearboxes. Or, there’s the 210PS 2.0-litre turbo petrol lifted from the Golf GTI.

On the diesel front, it’s a choice between 140- (later 150-), 170PS and 184PS versions of the ubiquitous VW Group 2.0-litre motor. The 170PS version only comes with the DSG gearbox and the 150PS turbodiesel is the workhorse of the range and came with a claimed combined economy of 62.8mpg.

Every CC comes with twin front, side and curtain airbags as standard, along with a driver alert system. There are three-point seat belts for all occupants, plus Isofix child seat mounts on the two outer rear seats.

The GT model came with all-round parking sensors. Customers could also opt for a blind spot warning system. Other options were lane keeping assistance that vibrates the steering wheel if the car wanders off line and traffic sign recognition system as an option to keep them informed of the speed limit on the stretch of road where the car is being driven.

Some may comment the Volkswagen CC’s front cabin is all bit too similar in style to the Passat of the same era. We say that’s a good thing as the Passat was always a handsome car from the driver’s seat and all of the same simplicity of design and easy usability is carried over to the CC.

The driver’s seat offers good support, even if the cushions feel a little firm on first acquaintance. There’s also height adjustment for the driver and the steering wheel moves for depth and angle to further finesse the seating position.

There’s a small drop from the load sill to the boot floor, but the load bay itself is long, flat and has uninterrupted sides, so you can fit a lot into the large 452-litre space.

Volkswagen made a concerted effort inside the CC. In doing so, VW could justify asking higher prices that put the CC into direct competition with car from the executive sector such as the BMW 3 Series and Mercedes C-Class.

While much of the cabin’s architecture and switchgear comes from the Passat, where your hands come into contact with the CC all of the surfaces feel that bit more honed and higher grade. All of the buttons and switches work with a pleasingly positive action, clicking on and off to let you know they have worked properly without the need to take your eyes off the road to check.

Volkswagen fitted every CC model with a 6.5-inch touchscreen infotainment system that was quite advanced for the time at launch. It features satellite navigation as standard and DAB digital radio, so buyers today don’t have to worry about accessing their favourite station.

The RNS 315 infotainment system also comes with iPod and Bluetooth connectivity in all CC models, to it’s simple to pair a smartphone to the car for hands-free calls. However, you won’t be able to access apps from your phone as this set-up is too old for that. However, the touchscreen itself is a good size and easy to reach from the driver’s seat.

Search out a late version of the Volkswagen CC and you will pay around £12,000 for a petrol or diesel model with 35,000 to its name. This will be from a dealer and come with some form of used warranty to give peace of mind. It will also likely be a well equipped GT or R Line model.

Look for an older CC and an eight-year old example with 75,000 miles under its wheels will cost you from £6000 for a car in good order and with complete service record. This sort of price will give you a choice of petrol or diesel engines and also the option of manual or automatic gearbox depending on which combination suits your needs.

The only major point to watch out for it’s the DSG dual-clutch automatic gearbox can become problematic with age.

This is not a fault unique to the CC but more one that applies to all Volkswagens of this era fitted with the DSG ’box. On a test drive, make sure the car swaps quickly and cleanly from one gear to the next and try the car in reverse too. Also, look for evidence that service work has been carried out routinely on the transmission.

The most economical model of Volkswagen CC is the 2.0-litre turbodiesel model with 140PS, or later 150PS, that delivers a claimed combined consumption of 62.8mpg, which was measured before WLTP regulations. Real MPG figures show this model is able to give up to 54.9mpg.

None of the Volkswagen CC range is going to tax your budget too heavily when it comes to getting insurance cover. The cheapest model is the 140PS 2.0-litre turbodiesel version in standard trim that falls into group 23. A GT version with this motor in 150PS form sits in group 26. The most expensive CC to get cover for is the 210PS R Line model, which resides in group 32. That’s about the same as a BMW 320i saloon.

Choose either of the 2.0-litre turbodiesel engines in the Volkswagen CC and you will pay £30 per year for Vehicle Excise Duty. This is the same for the 150PS version of this engine, while the 170PS attracts a yearly payment of £165 and the 184PS comes in at £125.

For the petrol engines, the 1.4 TSI will cost you £125 per year for road tax, while the 1.8 TSI turbo petrol requires £205. Go for the 210PS 2.0-litre unit and you’ll pay £240 per annum.

Volkswagen was far from mean when it came to the standard equipment list for the CC. Entry-point models came with bi-xenon headlights, sports suspension, automatic headlights and wipers, and electric windows all round. There were also 17-inch alloy wheels, while inside you got dual-zone climate control, 6.5-in infotainment screen with sat-nav, Bluetooth and DAB digital radio, and electrically adjusted driver’s seat.

To this lot, the GT added 18-inch alloys, front foglights, parking sensors front and back, and the ACC adaptive chassis control with Normal, Sport and Comfort settings.

There was Nappa leather upholstery and heated front seats for greater luxury. R Line models have adaptive headlights that were an option for others as High Beam Assist. Other additional equipment you could pay for included a reversing camera, front climate seats with massage function, thicker acoustic dampening door glass, and an electrically deployable tow bar.