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"         The first indication the Passat CC is a very different Passat is that it doesn&amp;#039;t share a single body panel with the &amp;quot;regular&amp;quot; version. One look at its coupe-like sloping roofline, strong side character line and all-new front and rear ends, and you realize the Comfort Coupe \u2014 available in the U.S. with either a 2.0T turbocharged 4-cylinder or a 3.6-liter V-6 \u2014 has something the current Passat lacks \u2014 true &amp;quot;look at me&amp;quot; styling from every angle.   Of course, 4-door coupes demand compromises to achieve their high style. For although the Passat CC is actually 0.7 in. longer and 1.4 in. wider than the standard Passat, that sloping roofline endows the car with 2.0 in. less height. Head room is fine up front, but anyone over 5 foot 10 in. sitting in one of the two individual rear seats will brush the roof with their head.   Not only is the Passat CC the nicest-looking Passat ever, it&amp;#039;s also the nicest-driving, largely due to the first use of &amp;quot;adaptive chassis control&amp;quot; (DCC in VW-speak) in a Volkswagen passenger car. This system offers three suspension settings for the driver to choose: Normal, Sport and Comfort, operated by a button inconveniently located on the right-hand-side of the shifter on the center console. The different settings affect the suspension&amp;#039;s damping and steering effort, but regardless of the setting the system constantly adapts to both the road and the driving situation. Unfortunately, the availability of this feature in the U.S. is still being decided.   The base car for the U.S. will be the 2.0 TFSI 4-cylinder turbo with 200 bhp, mated to either a 6-speed manual or a 6-speed Tiptronic automatic with front-wheel drive. The Euro 1.8 TSI version we drove makes do with just 160 metric horsepower, and in this form the 3300-lb. Passat CC felt a bit underwhelming. But the extra horsepower of the U.S. version should prove more than adequate.   The big-dog will be the 3.6-liter V-6, with either front- or 4Motion all-wheel drive, along with 280 bhp and 265 lb.-ft. of torque. Unfortunately, as with the 2.0 T, VW&amp;#039;s much-lauded twin-clutch DSG will not be available in the U.S., the only transmission for the Passat CC V-6 being the 6-speed Tiptronic automatic. Regardless, this car has oodles of power (though a bit noisy at higher rpm), put to the pavement in absolute terms by the latest generation of 4Motion. Combined with DCC, the Passat CC provides a driving experience that&amp;#039;s sporting enough to have a good time on back roads, yet comfortable, stable and quiet on the highway.   The Passat CC will go on sale in the U.S. in mid-September. Prices have not been set, but expect the 2.0T to range from $27,000 - $32,000, the 3.6 front-drive at around $38,500 and the full-zoot V-6 4Motion about $40,000.   So who will buy it? A good question. My feeling is it will sell a lot better than VW&amp;#039;s previous upmarket attempts \u2014 the Passat W8 and the Phaeton. For not only is the Passat CC a better-driving Passat, it&amp;#039;s also a darn cool looking car. For many, that&amp;#039;s reason enough.   What&amp;#039;s Hot:   Mercedes CLS-like styling for half the price DCC suspension system \u2014 if it comes to the U.S. 3.6 V-6 with 4Motion all-wheel drive  What&amp;#039;s Not:   Steep price No DSG for North America Lane Assist, Park Assist, Adaptive Cruise Control and ventilated seats not coming to North America  Compare To:            "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.roadandtrack.com/new-cars/first-drives/reviews/a14278/2009-volkswagen-passat-cc-1/>