Short Test - 2013 Volkswagen CC Sport Plus

When is a coupe not a coupe? Trick question? In a quest to answer a question no one asked, Mercedes Benz birthed the CLS by dressing a standard E-Class platform in a sleek and voluptuous wrapper, giving rise to the segment busting four-door coupe era. So successful was the CLS that many manufacturers jumped on the bandwagon, some going to the extreme of dressing crossover platforms to look like coupes (we see you BMW X6). To an accountant, it's a very easy and simple way to charge more money for what is, essentially, a pedestrian car. That Audi A7 you're got an eye on? That's the A6's more handsome (and expensive) brother. The BMW 6 Series Gran Coupe? A stretched 6 Series with two extra doors, itself sharing a platform with the 5 Series sedan. Volkswagen decided to try their hand in the form of the CC (or Comfort Coupe), introduced in 2009. Like the E-Class based CLS, the CC is basically a European market Passat in a fancier, swoopier suit. I was never really fooled by this but it can't be denied that styling does wonders to enhance a car's image. If a Passat seems too bland for your tastes, then maybe the CC, newly refreshed for 2013, warrants a closer inspection.

The CC has been quite a success for Volkswagen, selling in impressive numbers since its introduction. In order to keep the design fresh against newcomers, the CC underwent a nip-and-tuck treatment that sees the exterior styling get a good dose of edginess. While the basic outline remains the same, sharp creases now dominate the front end. A three bar chrome grille replaces the old one while LED daytime running lights highlight restyled bixenon headlamp bezels. Adaptive front lights are also available which swivel the beams into the direction the steering is turned for better illumination when cornering. The hood features two hard creases that run its length up from the outer grille edges to meet the A pillars. The sides also incorporate some sculpting with wider rocker panels and the rear end now has LED brake lighting that feature "CC" in their design. The Sport Plus' 18" wheels give the CC a good stance on the road and emphasizes the car's width. Where the old car was softer in appearance with a more organic styling that really stood out, the new styling gives the CC a dose of aggression while still maintaining an air of elegance and richness. It's not as at once identifiable as the old car but its stylish appeal is undeniable.

Inside, the premium air continues with typical high levels of German build quality, quite a step above the American-market Jetta and Passat. My 2.0T Sport Plus tester was decked out in a Desert Beige/Black leatherette material called V-Tex, a synthetic material said to be more durable than standard leather. Just tell your passengers it's leather and they won't know the difference. While most surfaces were buttery soft and premium feeling, some of the plastic aluminum accents felt a bit tinny and out of place in such a stylish cabin. The heated front seats are comfortable, supportive and power adjustable with good spacing for passengers. Rear accommodations are less so, befitting the CC's fashion-first mission. While leg space was just about adequate, my head touched the headliner and the amount of room wouldn't lend itself to comfortable three-abreast seating for anything above short trips. The seating position also places you low in the cabin with the window-line high up. Claustrophobia-prone passengers need not apply. Another thing regarding the rear seats: unlike the first-generation CC, the refreshed model now ditches the central rear divider for a slightly raised center seat, allowing a third passenger to ride.. The original two-place rear seating might have enhanced the look of the interior but many customers rejected the car because of the lack of a third seat. With this option, sales have picked up to the point where even the European CC now offers rear seating for three. However, even with this new feature, your three adult rear passengers will hate you after a road trip from Miami to Orlando. Small kids should be fine if they're not claustrophobic. Or you can just buy the Passat next door.

As the name suggests, Volkswagen's well regarded turbocharged 2.0 liter direct-injected four cylinder provides the motivation for this tester with output figures of 200hp and 207lb-ft of torque, channeled to the front wheels via a 6-speed DSG dual-clutch transmission. Now these figures might sound measly, but having driven a 2006 GTI so equipped, I wasn't in the least surprised at the ample power at hand. Where the 2.0T proved outright fun in the lighter Golf variant, in the CC it was more than adequate. Torque delivery is quite flat and readily available throughout the rev band, with just the slightest hint of turbo lag,  while shifts were typical-DSG smooth and imperceptible. At normal cruise, engine noise was kept mostly at bay with the only sound penetrating the interior being tire noise. While not deafening, it was noticeable enough but easily drowned out by the excellent 10-speaker sound system. Kick the spurs and the transmission will quickly ratchet down multiple gears to get the 2.0T in its sweet spot for almost instant forward thrust. Slip the selector into S mode and the transmission will hold gears all the way to redline, even anticipating a downshift when slowing for a corner. The driver can also take manual control via the gear lever, although for a car with the "Sport Plus" trim, paddle shifters are a curious omission. With a 0-60 time of just over 6 seconds, the 2.0T should satisfy the majority of customers.

While the CC is no sports car, it doesn't fall over itself when driven aggressively. Steering felt reasonably linear, losing some feel just off center. Ride quality when driven serenely is quite pleasant and solid, befitting its German roots. Despite the slightly stiffer suspension however, dive and roll when pitched hard into turns was substantial enough to tell most drivers to back off. The CC will change directions when asked as the steering is fairly responsive, but it prefers long sweeping turns as opposed to tight, twisty corners such as a racetrack  Don't feel like dialing it back? Terminal understeer will get your attention quite early when powering out of tight corners, spearing you into the weeds, even with the grip available from the larger tires (a summer option is available). I found a good technique when driving the CC aggressively was to carry speed into a corner, letting the chassis settle and allowing the tires to assist mid-corner. Once through with the nose more or less pointed straight, the throttle can be nailed and the mid-range torque of the turbo four can assert itself without understeer becoming an issue. Driven at 6/10s, the 2.0T provides enough thrust to keep the drive entertaining. Over that and the CC's Big Brother electronic nannies will quickly (and sometimes severely) slap your hand by aggressively cutting the engine and braking any slipping wheels. For the power-hungry, a 3.6 liter 280hpVR6 is available in uplevel models along with 4Motion AWD but the result would be a heavier and slightly more ponderous feeling (not to mention reduced gas mileage). Use the CC as a comfortable long distance cruiser and it will happily eat up the miles. Need more sport? VW has a GTI or Golf R with your name on it.

Pricing for the 2013 CC Sport Plus starts at $32,850 which includes the 18" wheels, RNS315 touchscreen with navigation, LED daytime running lights, Dynamic headlights with Adaptive Front Lighting and the good sounding 10 speaker audio system with Bluetooth phone/audio streaming while the DSG transmission replaces the base 6 speed manual. A fully loaded model with the VR6 and AWD will land somewhere in the mid $40k region. Audi territory. Choose your options wisely.

Competitors? Well there's the long-in-the-tooth Nissan Maxima, Ford Taurus, the new Chevy Impala and equally new Toyota Avalon as well as the Korean Hyundai Azera/Kia Cadenza duo. Another curious competitor to the CC could come from inside VW's own empire in the form of the Audi A4. While not as coupe-like as the CC (Audi has the pricier A7 for that role), the A4 does have a more premium nameplate and its base price sits at slightly less than $1000 more than the CC Sport Plus (although finding a base A4 with no options would be next to impossible). So is the Volkswagen CC worth the upcharge from the pedestrian Passat? If styling means more to you than practicality (really, isn't that why coupes are bought in the first place?) and a Mercedes CLS is out of reach, then Volkswagen has the car for you.


Many thanks to Mario for helping facilitate the review!

First Impressions - Lamborghini Urus Concept

2013 Lamboghini Urus Concept

Say what? Lamborghini is doing what?

Indeed they are. And come on, it's not like they haven't done it before. If you were a child of the 70s/80s, then you would remember the LM002, the V12-powered Italian Hummer of SUVs that Lamborghini produced between 1986 and 1993. While that monster was more about brute force and less about luxury, it was brash and exotic in that traditional Lamborghini in-your-face logic. But Lamborghini isn't a traditional builder of SUVs. They build sports cars: exotic, wild, fast and brash super cars. So what are they doing unveiling a new concept that forms the basis for a third vehicle line after the Aventador and Gallardo? Let's not forget that Porsche was also seen as a maker of pure sports cars and what began with the 911 Carrera, branched out into the Boxter/Cayman line with the occasional GT and super exotic (Carrera GT). But like every business,automakers are sensitive to the ups and downs of a world economy and it impacts exotic sports car makers particularly hard since their annual sales rarely top 5000 units. When demand drops, small outfits such as these don't have the leverage of multiple vehicle lines to cut or fall back on like larger full line automakers. Porsche recognized this in the late 90s and thus forged an agreement with Volkswagen to jointly develop an SUV that would serve both automakers purposes. Thus was born the Cayenne (and VW Touareg), the polar opposite of Porsche's sports cars. Of course the Porsche faithful cried fouled and decried Porsche for even thinking of developing a near 5000lb monstrosity that would possibly dilute and sully the Porsche name. The fact is, Porsche had little choice. If it was to survive, Porsche needed to be flexible and enter markets that would have previously been considered unthinkable. A decade later, the Cayenne has been an instrumental success for Porsche, providing the capital to bolster Porsche and fund further development of their sports cars. Porsche has thus gone further, since becoming part of Volkswagen's vast empire, developing a 4 door Panamera super sedan which is currently rivaling the Cayenne as Porsche's most profitable vehicle line.

2008 Lamborghini Estoque Concept

And now we have Lamborghini. They first hinted at adding a third vehicle line when they unveiled the Estoque concept car in 2008 at the Paris Motor Show. It was quite possible (despite being surprising) for Lamborghini to head in this direction as a platform (underpinning the Panamera) was readily available. However, to take advantage of the current crossover craze, Lamborghini decided against doing a 4 door sports car (although the idea isn't entirely dead) and against doing a direct descendant of the LM002 in favor of a more conventional (in every loose sense of the word) 4 door, 4 seat design take on the BMW X6 M. Based on a next generation Porsche Cayenne/Audi Q7 platform, the Urus (named from a breed of Spanish bulls renowned for their strength) is billed to be the quickest and best handling soft-roader ever built; a tall order when its competition includes the aforementioned X6 M, Mercedes ML63 and the Urus' own kissing cousin, the Cayenne Turbo.

However, with the performance of the Aventador and Gallardo already kicking ass and taking names, anything less for the Urus just would not do for Lamborghini. Looking at the Urus concept, it could not be mistaken for anything else but a Lambo. Initially there was skepticism that the edgy design of the Aventador would not translate well to a tall, high riding crossover. By lowering the roof, designing a raked, uprising beltline and aggressively flaring the wheel arches, the design team succeeded in producing a look that is very much a Lamborghini, albeit one that weighs over 4500lbs. The sharply sloped nose and massive air intakes hint at the power that may lie beneath the hood. Lamborghini has yet to officially say what may power the Urus but looking at the sloping hoodline, coupled with Lamborghini's desire to make the Urus as efficient as possible, any chance of a V12 engine has been ruled out. A version of the Gallardo's V10 was initially suggested and, even with forced induction, that seems skeptical and at odds with making the Urus efficient. Besides, there doesn't seem to be enough space to house more than eight cylinders. Fortunately, Lamborghini does have an enormous parts bin to rummage through and one good possibility would be a version of Audi's just introduced twin-turbo 4.0 V8, already seeing service in the Bentley Continental and various top rung Audi sedans. The design of the chassis however, means that the engine will sit uncomfortably far ahead of the front axle.

2013 Lamborghini Urus Concept (quite dashing no?)

Managing weight will be a key factor in Lamborghini's quest to make he Urus the best handling crossover and as such, the concept previews the use of as much lightweight, composite material as possible throughout the chassis and interior. The aim is to shave at least 250lbs from the entire vehicle while opting for as close to a 50-50 front-rear weight balance as possible. Mounted on monster 23 inch wheels fitted with Pirelli Scorpion Zero 305/35 ZR23 tires, the Urus also has an adjustable suspension and active aerodynamics and a rear-biased AWD system to counteract whatever nose-heavy physics that may come into play. Despite all this technology, Lamborghini promises the Urus will be extremely user friendly as carting around families will be one of its mission goals. Well, families that have around USD230,000 dollars just lying around (and perhaps a Gallardo occupying garage space).

2013 Lamborghini Urus Concept

Production of the Urus has yet to be green-lighted as of this writing, but it is clear that Lamborghini has set a course for continued profitability, following the path that Porsche had taken a decade earlier. Would the Estoque have been a better vehicle to produce? Perhaps, but given the success of the growing crossover market with entries from seemingly every automaker (and the unforeseen success of BMW's X6), Lamborghini has hedged its bets on doing the unexpected and as it sees, the best alternative for staying in business. If the Urus gets production approval, we won't expect to see a production model until 2015 at the earliest.

 So there you have it, Lamborghini is getting into the SUV/crossover business. Hey, at least it looks a heck of a lot better than Bentley's take on a crossover, the EXP-9F. Which do you think looks better? Have at it in the comments.

2013 Bentley EXP-9F Concept