Sleek and Stylish Passat CC Launches at Detroit

Style is important in today's automotive world, so much so that it's changing

the way that car companies conceive cars. Brands like Volkswagen, which have traditionally been on the straight and narrow with their vehicles, are now making an effort to stay abreast of the latest trends. An example of this is the VW Passat CC, also known informally as the Passat Coupe, a vehicle that was designed along the same lines as the Mercedes-Benz CLS, a sportier, sexier looking alternative to a mainstream vehicle.

The Passat CC shares underpinnings with the regular Passat, maintaining its wheelbase, but the bodywork has been stretched by over 1.2 inches, while the height of the roofline has plunged by 2.0 inches.

It is within these new dimensions that Volkswagen's stylists were able to create a much sleeker shape that is reminiscent of a coupe. The Passat CC will

act as VW's halo car in North America until the next-generation Phaeton arrives. Inside, the Passat CC features seating for four, and the same dashboard layout as the Passat, but with different instruments, door trims and climate control interface.

Unlike the Mercedes-Benz, the VW CC will be a much more affordable vehicle to purchase and won't be offered with an engine range as large as the Mercedes, at least not in North America. Standard to the sedan will be a 3.6-litre FSI V6 (300 hp), combined with a six-speed automatic and 4Motion all wheel drive.

The CC will also incorporate new innovations for VW, such as the Lexus LS 460-like Park Assist, an adaptive suspension and radar cruise control. The Passat CC will go on sale in North America during the fourth quarter of this year.