$10K premium for VW Passat CC

VOLKSWAGEN Group Australia (VGA) will put a $10,000 base price premium on its new Passat CC “coupe” when it goes on sale next week.

Revealed today as part of a range-wide price increase effective from February 1, the $54,990 price tag for the entry-level Passat CC 125TDI with six-speed DSG auto is precisely $10,000 higher than that of the Passat 125TDI auto sedan ($44,990) on which it is based.

Similarly, the direct-injection V6 FSI version of the auto-only Passat CC will cost $65,990, which is $9000 more than the Passat V6 Highline auto ($56,990).

However, the CC’s newer 3.6-litre petrol V6 produces 220kW/350Nm – the same as the R36 Passat sedan and wagon – while the regular Passat V6 features the older 184kW/330Nm 3.2-litre six-cylinder petrol engine.

Like the Passat R36 but not the regular Passat V6, the range-topping Passat CC V6 also features all-wheel drive. That’s something the conceptually similar but much larger Mercedes-Benz CLS350 six-cylinder does not, for well over twice the price ($149,025).

Apart from introducing a new interior and exterior design theme for Volkswagen, the Passat CC is longer yet wider and has a lower roof than the Passat sedan, and features a coupe-like silhouette and oversized sunroof – rather than a folding hard-top as the coupe-convertible title misleadingly suggests.

Some 55 per cent of the four-seat Passat CC’s components are shared with the Passat, but Volkswagen’s newcomer is claimed to debut a number of comfort, safety and handling technologies from Volkswagen.

While Australian specifications are yet to be announced, in Europe they will include lane-changing and automatic parking assist technologies, plus air suspension under the Dynamic Drive Control (DDC) banner.

Revealed in final production guise at the 2008 Detroit motor show, the Passat CC this month became available in Europe in entry-level 1.8 TSI petrol guise with Volkswagen’s new seven-speed DSG transmission.

The Passat CC 1.8 TSI will not be sold in Australia and therefore the Passat CC will not feature VW’s latest dual-clutch automated manual transmission, because it is limited to torque outputs of 250Nm.

While sticker prices for the Polo light-car, Eos coupe-convertible and Touareg SUV remain unchanged, VW’s volume-selling Golf, Beetle, Jetta and Passat all go up.

Most variants of the Golf V, which is in run-out-sales mode ahead of the re-skinned Golf VI’s release here in late February, have increased by $500 or $700 – bringing the entry-level Golf 1.6 Edition five-door’s price to $25,990 – while all versions of the Beetle are up either $710 or $910.

Selected variants within the Passat range have increased by $400 or $500, bringing base Passat pricing to $42,990 for the 103TDI auto sedan.

Finally, 103TDI turbo-diesel variants of the Jetta and Tiguan are up $200 and $700 respectively.

VGA’s general manager for press and PR Karl Gehling said: “The price rise is something we’ve been holding off on due to currency variations, but it has now come into effect in light of price movements by our competitors “The variations (between models) depend on different factors ... and we have tried to minimise price rises where ever possible.” 2009 Volkswagen range pricing adjustments:

Golf:
Variant	New price	Change
1.6 Edition	$25,990	+$500
1.6 Edition (a)	$28,490	+$500
1.9 TDI Edition	$28,690	+$700
1.9 TDI Edition (a)	$31,190	+$700
2.0 FSI Pacific	$30,490	+$500
2.0 FSI Pacific (a)	$32,990	+$500
2.0 TDI Pacific	$33,190	+$700
2.0 TDI Pacific (a)	$35,690	+$700
GTI 3-dr	$38,990	+$500
GTI 3-dr (a)	$41,490	+$500
GTI 5-dr	$40,490	+$500
GTI 5-dr (a)	$42,990	+$500
R32 3-dr	$55,490	+$500
R32 3-dr (a)	$57,990	+$500
R32 5-dr	$56,990	+$500
R32 5-dr (a)	$59,490	+$500

New Beetle:
Variant	New price	Change
Miami 1.6	$26,700	+$710
Miami 1.6 (a)	$29,200	+$710
TDI 1.9	$29,400	+$910
Cabriolet 2.0	$37,700	+$710
Cabriolet 2.0 (a)	$40,200	+$710

Jetta:
Variant	New price	Change
103TDI	$35,690	+$200
103TDI (a)	$38,190	+$200

Tiguan:
Variant	New price	Change
103TDI	$36,690	+$700
103TDI (a)	$39,190	+$700

Passat:
Variant	New price	Change
103TDI sedan (a)	$42,990	+$500
103TDI wagon (a)	$44,990	+$500
R36 sedan(a)	$65,990	+$400
R36 wagon (a)	$67,990	+$400

Passat CC:
125TDI (a)	$54,990
V6 FSI (a)	$65,990