SLINKY VALUE; VW'S NEW CC IS A PASSAT IN SEXY SHOES.(News)

Byline: J. P. VETTRAINO

FASHIONABLE CARS HAVE SOME-thing in common with fashionable women's shoes. What's less, materially speaking, typically costs more. Think strappy spiked heels versus sturdy oxfords. Or Mercedes-Benz's CL coupe versus the mechanically similar S-class sedan. With less room and fewer seats, the CL costs substantially more and probably looks it.

Given widespread acceptance of such actualities, one wonders what Volkswagen is thinking with its new CC.

The automobile introduced as the Passat CC ("Calling a Spade a Sedan,AW, June 2) debuts in the United States as simply the CC, for "comfort coupe. The 2009 CC shares its platform and wheelbase with VW's Passat sedan. It has similar exterior dimensions and four conventional doors. It offers the same instrument panel, the same powertrains andadjusting for a slightly lower ride heightsuspension tuned for the same balance of ride quality and handling response.

The difference is the CC's swept-roof, coupe-style body, which shares almost nothing with the Passat and comes with one fewer seatbelt inside. VW calls the CC "a stylish new design statement for the brand. In the mold of the fashionable Mercedes CLS sedan, the VW CC is a very appealing car.

And it turns out to be a less expensive car than the Passat. VW's new image flagship (R.I.P. for now, Phaeton) has a base price of $27,480, or $1,510 less than a 2009 Passat.

The CC is certainly slinkier than the typical sedan in its price range. The slink comes at a price, to be sure, starting with a de-crease in rear-seat headroom. Yet there's still enough for a six-foot-one passenger to sit comfortably in back, and the overall cabin volume is identical to the Passat's.