by Josee Valcourt

At first glance, it wasn’t the most noticeable thing about the new 2009 Volkswagen CC but it was memorable, and a tad vain: I slid into the new coupe sedan’s rear seat without mussing my hair.
I have big hair. Not one strand of what I like to think is a funky coif brushed against the car’s apparent low headliner as I clambered into the back during a recent product test-drive event in Chicago sponsored by Volkswagen AG.

That says a lot. Like for starters that somewhere in the sporty CC’s development stage, VW designers ruminated on the midsize car’s interior space, and not just its striking exterior look that closely mirrors Mercedes Benz’s CLS. In an age when space is valued, creating sufficient wiggle room between one’s voluminous hair and the interior roofline is nothing short of thoughtful. I certainly can appreciated VW’s effort to up the vehicle’s headroom even if my reason solely lies on vanity.
It makes all the more sense why VW scheduled a tour with the Frank Lloyd Wright Preservation Trust. Gaywheels.com was among the invited guests taken on a private tour of the great American architect’s first home in Illinois’ Oak Park enclave. Wright had a penchant for creating illusions of depth – high archways, octagonal rooms – in the most unrestricted way.

Maybe VW designers tore a page from Wright’s playbook.
The CC’s design duplicity continues as not only is the headliner high enough in spite of major coupe action to the rear, but there’s adequate leg room. There’s also sufficient cargo space, and a storage compartment tucked between the rear seats to store the doodads of your choice. The compartment holds two cups, bringing the total number of cup holders in the vehicle to a standard four.
Coincidentally, CC stands for comfort coupe. The four-door vehicle provides a fair slice of comfort. Where it falls short though is in the front-door pockets that are snug, making it slightly cumbersome to slip a folder stuffed with a few sheets of paper in. VW should have gone with hinged side pockets, which pull outward for easy storing and doesn’t call for contorting one’s hands.

I also found the beige and black two-toned sport bucket leather seats in the 4-cylinder version I drove to be, well, meh. It was uninspiring and, dare I say, drab. Even with real chrome accents, the interior’s look was comparable to almost hitting a high note but suddenly falling flat.
From the outside, the CC’s rear acutely slopes but not in a holy molly, we’re-going-to-make-you-wince-because-the-line-on-this-car-is-so-sharp kind of way. It’s more of a graceful plunge. VW describes it as dramatic. Either way, graceful plunge + dramatic = snazzy in my book.

The vehicle handled fairly well on roads though some turns in curvy areas were less-than-smooth. Equipped with a 2.0-liter 4-cylinder engine that pumps 200 horsepower, it was zippy enough for my liking. A 3.6-liter 6-cylinder engine is also offered. It pushes 265 horsepower.
VW characterizes the CC as near-luxury and positions it smack dab in the crowded midsize sedan segment where the Toyota Camry and Honda Accord reign, according to sales figures.
Its German engineering, spiffy design, and starting price of $26,790 should help it stand out though the vehicle’s base price exponentially swells depending on the package. It tops out at $39,300. The destination charge is $690.
The automaker hopes to sell some 28,000 units. Laura Soave, VW’s general marketing manager, says she thinks the car will be a head turner. I agree, big hair and all.

2009 VW CC:
Engine: 200 HP 2.0-liter turbo four cylinder or a 265 HP 3.6-liter VR6
Transmission: 6-speed manual available with four-cylinder only, 6-speed automatic for both
Drive Wheels: FWD in both engines, AWD available with 3.6-liter VR6

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