Volkswagen has announced prices for its new four-door, four-seater coupé, the Passat CC, which is available to order from retailers across the UK from next week, Friday 16th May.  The first cars, if ordered now, will start arriving in the UK in mid-July.  The entry-level CC, the 1.8-litre TSI 160 PS will cost £21,040 RRP on the road, with prices rising to £31,120 for the range-topping 3.6-litre V6 300 PS.

The Passat CC opens a new market niche for Volkswagen and strengthens the company’s range of models in the hotly-contested B-segment.  With high quality and impressive specification levels across the range, the Passat CC is likely to appeal to private and fleet buyers alike.

Two trim levels are available: standard CC and GT.  Standard models boast sports suspension, 17” ‘Phoenix’ alloy wheels, 2Zone Climatronic air conditioning, touchscreen CD stereo system with six-disc autochanger, six-way electrically adjustable sports seats, a multifunction leather steering wheel, six airbags and ESP.  GT adds, 18” ‘Interlagos’ alloy wheels, ‘silversprint’ upholstery, tinted windows and front foglights as well as, for the first time on a Volkswagen, Adaptive Chassis Control (ACC).  With three settings – comfort, normal and sport – ACC acts not only on the damper units to firm up or soften the ride but also changes the characteristics of the electro-mechanical steering system to suit a more comfort- or sport-orientated drive.  This is also an option on the standard car.

Three engines are available at launch – two petrol and one diesel.  Petrol options are a 1.8-litre TSI unit developing 160 PS and 184 lbs ft of torque linked to a six-speed manual or DSG gearbox plus the flagship 3.6-litre V6 FSI with 300 PS and 258 lbs ft of torque channelled via 4MOTION four-wheel drive and DSG gearbox.  A common rail 2.0-litre TDI with 140 PS is also offered at launch, and will be joined in September by a 170 PS version of the same powerplant.  An additional 2.0-litre petrol unit, with 200 PS, will also become available at this time.

Other innovative systems offered on the Passat CC include Park Assist, Lane Assist and Automatic Distance Control, the latter two of which have only been seen before on Volkswagen’s Phaeton and Touareg luxury models.

Around 2,500 Passat CCs are forecast to be sold in the UK this year, rising to 5,800 in 2009.  For more information on the Passat CC, visit www.volkswagen.co.uk.