Place a saloon car’s dashboard in ritzier surroundings and the dash also looks better. It suits the CC well with its chromed dial surrounds and there’s expensive quality here in the form of padded, well-fitting plastics and switchgear the equal of an Audi’s.
The white-on-black LCD information graphics are easy to read and the driving position is adjustable in most directions, electrically in the case of the recline angle.
In the rear you’ll need to duck to avoid clouting your head on the roof on the way in, but once installed you’ll find a rather roomier space than a CLS can offer. Legroom and foot space are pretty generous and most heads won’t touch the roof.
There’s also a wide storage tray between you and your rear seat companion, with an armrest and ski hatch behind it and a roller shutter to cover the cupholders beneath. It means there is no chance of carrying a third rear passenger, though.
A proper spare wheel, in both size and construction, is stored under the boot floor, and the bootlid is opened by tilting the large VW logo set into its surface. It’s not a new idea but it’s still a neat one.
On pure value for money, the CC looks doubtful next to the Passat saloon but tempting next to a 3-series, C-class or even its Audi A4 in-house rival. You’d buy one if style mattered to you and you liked the idea of a Volkswagen; that is the point of the CC’s existence.
As for running costs, our test average worked out at 28.1mpg. Official figures are 37.2mpg and 180g/km of CO2 on the combined cycle, which currently puts this CC in the £170 road tax band. The depreciation of Volkswagen’s Phaeton showed that a premium car from a semi-premium brand doesn’t always hold its appeal, but the Passat CC should fare more respectably.