Just One Look: 2012 Volkswagen CC Lux Limited

The 2012 Volkswagen CC Lux Limited will have you staring at it, even at speed, as it zips by and leaves you awe-inspired. Almost instantly you’re drawn to the sweeping curves akin to the Mercedes CLS or the car’s kissing cousin, the Audi A6, undoubtedly a significant contributor to the CC’s design philosophy. Often the vehicle is referred to as an oxymoron of sorts, the epitome of the four-door coupe.

This is one sexy family sports sedan.

A walk-around will have you following the swooping bevelled lines that slink upwards as if the car had been pulled into shape while in mid-G force. The automatic bi-xenon and adaptive front lighting Headlights are unmistakably proprietary, with arrowhead-shaped corners that give poor pedestrians standing before them the impression of being stared at, and marked for execution. The whole visual experience is conservative but compelling, elegant yet reaffirming, and creates expectations of a ride to write home about. No matter where you’re going, you’ll feel like you’re almost there even before you enter the cabin.

Even when you enter, so far, you’re not disappointed. Sure, seating is severely limited, and a soccer mom had better be a tennis mom instead to make proper use of it. But what would you expect of a luxury sportscar, and really, when it looks this good, would you even care? The proof of the pudding is the two-tone perforated leather, which in lesser designers’ hands often doesn’t look as good. On this one, it just works.

The 2.0-liter turbo-charged 4 is plenty for the average speed-demon. The good news is on the Interstate 5 the car is a stellar performer, and sips unleaded like it was a fine wine. slowly savoring every drop. It drives straight, true and smoothly, with a feeling of stability befitting luxury models of the same size.

To its disadvantage, as good as it fares in highway driving, the CC has a difficult time keeping up in city maneuvers. There’s a disappointingly noticeable lag in stop and go gearing.

The Volkswagen CC Lux Limited, at a hair under $35,500, includes touch-screen navigation system, dual zone climate control and brushed aluminum interior trim, plus upgrades to rearview camera, panoramic sunroof, HDD touch-screen navigation, eco-friendly wood trim and HomeLink, interior lighting package.

What we have here is a vehicle that’s clearly meant to collide head-on with the likes of the flagship German brands, including the suspiciously similar Audi marques. But with a huge VW emblem screaming from the front, it’s arguable in this case whether brand recognition will hurt or help its cause.

With a remarkably luxury brand profile, the top-level ‘Interlagos’ 18-inch rims with 10 thinner spokes, which come on the Lux Limited and VR6 Executive, are by themselves a must-see, as they round out a handsome package into its aspired supermodel heritage. But looks aside, there are some very compelling reasons to buy the CC. For one thing, there’s the fuel economy. There’s the leather interior to die for, and a list of accoutrements the competition still doesn’t have standard.