INNOVATIVE QUALITIES THAT MAKE PASSAT CC TICK
New Passat CC.Inset: The interior
To the German manufacturer, the new Volkswagen Passat CC 's aesthetic look is so compelling that you see nothing else but the car when it is cruising on the road. In other words, this new offering is in a class of its own and does not look like any other - so much that even when a disarmingly pretty lady is walking on by, the new kid on the block will still be the cynosure of all eyes.
You can deduce a little bit of hyperbolic expression here, but the truth is that the new Passat CC is in a class of its own in the mid-premium segment. It is the first four-door coupé from Volkswagen, and is imbued with a perfect blend of the comfort of a limousine and the exclusive appeal of a coupé.
Not a few members of the cream of the motoring press that explored the vehicle last week when it was unveiled to them in Lagos by Volkswagen Centre, a member of the Stallion Group, hailed the craftsmanship of the design team and the array of features that the car is blessed with. The new Passat will definitely rank high among vehicles with innovative features which you will ordinarily associate with bigger siblings, and other competing luxury brands like Mercedes-Benz and BMW.
Even the Volkswagen Centre's Marketing Director, Anurag Shah, was visibly gleeful as he highlighted the numerous unique characteristics of the CC, 'trust me, this is a wonderful car'. He disclosed that in designing the car, the manufacturer which his company represents in Nigeria, had considered the discomfort ordinary (two-door) coupes give to their users and the luxury limousines offer to the owners, hence the decision to have a confluence of both in one new product - the Passat CC.
For a car targeted at the age bracket of 35 to 50 and enlightened buyers who want stand out, the Passat CC wont run sort of admirers, and already, according to Shah, the initial stock that was been sold out, while orders have eaten deep into the next batch.
What are the innovations that that make the Volkswagen tick, that is, aside the elegant , sporty exterior? Chief among them are the self-sealing mobility tyres: The inner side of the tread has a layer of high-flexibility rubber compound that forms a seal around a foreign body penetrating the tread. The tyre is sealed even after a nail or screw is removed, and can run a distance of up to 500,000 kilometres in this condition. There are seven exclusive alloy wheels of sizes 17 and 18.
Passat CC is coming as the first car with dual clutch gearbox to feature a dry dual clutch, a state-of-the-art-technology that enhances fuel efficiency and improves emission. It has an amazing package of driver-assist systems, like the innovative cruise control with additional 'front assist' radar sensor that helps in managing acceleration and braking in order to ensure safe distance between the car and another vehicle, thereby obviating collisions.
Akin to this is another accident-preventing system called 'Lane Assist', which detects road markings using a camera. Now, what do you make of this: Guided by the camera, the system automatic ally counter-steers the car when it leaves the ideal line.
With 'Rear Assist' and optical Parking System (OPS), a video-based parking aid with integrated reversing camera, the driver can be conveniently guided to park the car even in a tight corner. The silhouette of the Passat CC and distance to obstacles are displayed on a monitor to assist him. Ditto for the 'Park Assist' (for parallel parking), which reverses along an ideal line into an available space in just 15 seconds.
In front are semi-electric sporty seats, while at the rear features two sports seats separated by a centre armrest and stowage compartment
The Bi-xenon swivelling lighting sytem follows the steering wheel movement and Improves illumination into bends by up to 90 per cent. Buyers have thre engines to choose from, including the top-of-the-range 3.6 litre V6 powerplant, boasting fuel efficiency of 7.6 litres per one hundred kilomtres.
The Maraketing Director assured that Volkswagen workshops across the country have been adequately prepared for the coming of the car, adding that apart from routine training, the service personnel were made to get familiar with the handling of the variuos features and systems.