Just a few days into the New Year Volkswagen is setting off its latest firework with today’s world-exclusive launch of the new four-door Passat CC at the North American International Auto Show. A car that is anything but mainstream.

The new Volkswagen embraces differences. It is a coupé, yet has four doors; it offers supreme comfort whilst at the same time oozing pure dynamism. Its sporty interior is uncompromising yet spacious.

The completely redesigned bodywork captivates with its silhouette of fluid lines. The roof stretches powerfully in a flat radius from the windscreen to the rear. A characteristic element of the design is the sharp tornado line drawn below the lower edge of the windows. Another new development is the panoramic glass roof which offers an overhead view.

The Passat, a proven success for more than three decades, forms the technical basis for the first four-door coupé by Volkswagen. The Passat CC comes exclusively with state-of-the-art direct injection engines (118 kW / 160 PS to 220 kW / 300 PS). A globally unique feature is the new lane hold assist system. If the vehicle appears to be inadvertently leaving the lane, the assistance system provides corrective steer control. The sportiness of a coupé is married to the comfort of a top-of-the-range saloon through the common denominator of automatic running gear adjustment, Dynamic Drive Control (DDC).

The core markets are North America, Western Europe and Japan. The Passat CC, built in the German Volkswagen plant in Emden, will initially be launched in the second quarter of the year in Europe and then from the fourth quarter in the USA and Canada and later Japan.

To the Point: Passat CC

Volkswagen is opening the year 2008 with the world premiere of the Passat CC. Its identifying characteristics: coupé design, yet with four doors; impressive comfort, yet pure dynamics; sporty interior, yet space without compromises. The interplay of these contrasts has resulted in a car whose concept and design set a new course beyond the mainstream. At the same time, the Passat CC is a progressive technological platform with high-class engines (103 kW / 140 PS to 220 kW / 300 PS) and innovative assistance and driving dynamics systems. These include world firsts in the "Lane Assist" lane keeping system and the "Dynamic Drive Control" electronic chassis control system. No less innovative: the "Park Assist" parking assistant and "ACC Automatic Distance Control" with stopping distance reducing "Front Scan".

Lane "Assist": This active lane keeping system on the Passat CC is unique worldwide in this vehicle class. It automatically counter-steers as soon as the Passat CC leaves its lane unintentionally; a genuine gain in convenience and safety. About 14 percent of all accidents involving injuries are caused by the vehicle leaving its driving lane. "Lane Assist" will contribute to reducing this accident rate. By the way, if the driver sets the turn signal to intentionally change lanes, "Lane Assist" does not intervene.

"Dynamic Drive Control": The car’s new "Dynamic Drive Control" (DDC) chassis control system combines the sportiness of a coupé and the comfort of a top sedan in one car. In parallel to tuning of the suspension’s damping characteristic, the power steering system is controlled too. "DDC" offers the three programs "Normal", "Sport" and "Comfort". Decisive here is the fact that Dynamic Drive Control improves comfort and dynamic properties in the "Normal" mode too – and therefore full-time. In certain markets, "DDC" is on-board as standard equipment on all versions starting at 125 kW / 170 PS.

"Park Assist": Another high-end technology is the "Park Assist" parking assistance system. It automatically guides the Passat CC into a parking space at the push of a button. The driver no longer needs to steer in this case, but instead just accelerates and brakes.

"ACC Automatic Distance Control": When "ACC" is activated, the Passat CC automatically brakes and accelerates within a speed range input by the car driver beforehand. Thanks to "Front Scan", the system also avoids frontal collisions. It uses a radar sensor to monitor the distance to other vehicles in traffic in front of the Passat CC. In advance of certain situations, "Front Scan" preventively places the brakes in a preconditioned state, thereby performing a stopping distance reduction function.

Furthermore, the Passat CC is putting on a whole display of fascinating fireworks with other innovative detailed solutions. These include small details that have tremendous impact. Such as the unique guide system for the side windows in the frameless coupé doors, which do not offer any surfaces for the wind to catch hold. No less impressive is the climate control feature for the car’s seats (active climate seat). Until now this comfort feature was reserved for the Phaeton luxury sedan. In summer months the active climate seat supplies noticeably improved comfort on long drives.

Another perfect example of attention to the smallest detail is the newly designed Mobility Tire System: from a purely statistical viewpoint car drivers experience a flat tire every 100,000 kilometers. On the Passat CC with "Mobility Tires", it is estimated that this value could be increased to 500,000 kilometers, since a highly flexible rubber mixture encapsulates the penetrating object and keeps the tire sealed. Also providing for a plus in safety are the up to eight airbags, ESP electronic stabilization program and an extremely high-strength body.

The Passat CC is positioned in the premium range of mid-class cars, in this case the sporty sedans and coupés. However, based on its dimensions (4.8 meters length) and uncompromising layout of comfort and quality properties, the car breaks through class boundaries to the upper mid-class. Its core markets are North America, Western Europe and Japan. The Passat CC – built at the German Volkswagen plant in Emden – will initially be introduced in Europe in the second quarter of the year. Following in the fourth quarter will be the USA and Canada, then Japan.