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2013 Volkswagen CC (photos)

Volkswagen's CC is a good-looking midsize sedan trying to punch way above its weight. Volkswagen priced it to be competitive with cars from BMW and Mercedes-Benz, yet most people will compare it with the Hyundai Sonata and Ford Fusion.

Wayne Cunningham
Wayne Cunningham reviews cars and writes about automotive technology for CNET's Roadshow. Prior to the automotive beat, he covered spyware, Web building technologies, and computer hardware. He began covering technology and the Web in 1994 as an editor of The Net magazine.
Wayne Cunningham
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Volkswagen came out with the CC in 2008, launching the car as a luxury variant of the Passat. The CC stands for Comfort Coupe, as the car's design is based on the idea of a four-door coupe. Unfortunately for Volkswagen, the CC's specs line up with cars that are substantially less expensive.

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For the 2013 model year, Volkswagen updated the CC's looks with the cross-hatched, three-bar grille it designed for the new Jetta and Passat, giving the model lineup a cohesive style.

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Volkswagen also includes bi-xenon headlights standard on the CC, which show off a clear, white light in a very controlled pattern.

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The CC gets Volkswagen's excellent direct injection, turbocharged 2-liter engine, which makes 200 horsepower and 207 pound-feet of torque. Higher trim level CCs come with a V-6. Each engine powers the front wheels.

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The four-door coupe design gives the CC a very good-looking roofline. Another change for 2013 is a less contoured rear seat, making it possible to seat three across, rather than the two for the car's first generation.

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The CC has a sunroof, but it only opens the trailing edge for ventilation. It does not slide back.

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The suspension of the CC is not high tech, but good turning results in a very comfortable ride and stability when cornering. Most CCs are front-wheel drive, although the top trim is all-wheel drive.

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The trunk does not have much vertical height, but it goes in deep. The rear seats can also be folded down, allowing an even deeper cargo area.

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The interior of the CC is well-appointed, which partially explains Volkswagen's pricing strategy.

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The rear seat area offers a decent amount of legroom and seating for three across.

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Volkswagen sets its trim levels with standard equipment, rather than offering a palette of options for buyers to choose from. This Lux trim car is equipped and priced at the midlevel.

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Volkswagen uses an electric-power-steering system, which is immediately apparent on turning the wheel. The feeling of the boost is different than with a hydraulic system, and there is a slight whirring sound from the electric motor.

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The microphone button activates a voice command system, but it only controls the phone system. There is no voice command for the stereo or navigation.

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The CC has basic, but elegant gauges. The monochrome display in the middle shows audio, phone, navigation, and trip information.

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Volkswagen fits the CC with its Direct Shift Gearbox, a dual-clutch transmission with six gears.

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This navigation head unit is Volkswagen's RNS 315. The maps are stored in flash memory and respond quickly. But the system does not show traffic data, a surprising omission for a car at this price.

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This semicircular menu works very well, controllable with the center dial and through touch.

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The onscreen keyboard also works well, with responsive keys and predictive text.

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The navigation system includes maps in perspective and plan view.

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The hands-free phone system is very good, including access to a paired phone's contact list and even a voice mail feature.

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The voice command system lets you place calls by saying the name of a person in the contact list.

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Along with terrestrial radio, the CC includes satellite radio channels.

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The Bluetooth audio screen shows complete track details.

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Other local audio sources include an SD card slot, CD slot, and the MDI port, which allows plugging in different types of adapter cables.

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The iPod music library screen provides the usual access to album, artist, genre categories.

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The MDI port is hidden away in the glove box, a position that makes it inconvenient to access from the driver seat.

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