Actually, two minor irritations: I can't say I'm a fan of the new VW group craze for the electric parking brake.
PERFORMANCE
Underneath my tester's tweaked hood lies the ubiquitous four-cylinder two-litre turbocharged engine that VW crams into everything from the GTi to the Tiguan to the coffee machine in the Wolfsburg factory break room. If you've experienced one, you've experienced them all: gutsy, grumbly, charming if not particularly smooth.
Stuffing a 200 h.p. four-pot underneath the nose of an admittedly swoopy mid-size sedan doesn't seem like a recipe for thrills in these heady days of 270+HP Toyota Camrys. However, the numbers only tell half the story.
Like the Jetta GLi, the CC drives like a much smaller car than it actually is. Slot the quick-shifting DSG gearbox into sport, and the car wakes up and grips through the corners with a surprising amount of zip. If you're wondering, the more-powerful V-6 model isn't half as much fun - the joy here is in the perfect pairing of lightweight four-cylinder turbo and snappy transmission.
FEATURES
Both the $35,125 Sportline and next-step-up-the-rung $39,975 Highline are available with the 2.0T engine. Standard features include Bluetooth hands-free, bi-xenon headlamps with adaptive curve-following, iPod connectivity and a rearview backup camera.
The Highline alone can be spec'd up with the 280 h.p. V-6 engine, though you lose the dual-clutch DSG in favour of a regular automatic transmission, which is serviceable but not as quick-witted. A six-speed manual is also available for both, rare in these automatic-happy days.
Bumping up to the Highline also adds attractive turbine-style 18-inch alloys, proper leather seat insets, and has a Panoramic sunroof as standard. A $2,200 technology package incorporates touch-screen navigation and a 10-speaker, 600-watt Dynaudio premium sound system.
