CONFUSION PERHAPS - BUT THE QUALITY IS CERTAIN

+ Click to Enlarge LIKE A LIQUEUR CHOCOLATE: The VW Comfort Coupé is all crisp edges on the outside and hedonistic luxury on the inside. Image: Motorpics

November 17, 2009
By Henri du Plessis

When a car is an Audi but also a Volkswagen and is as nice as an Audi but also nicer than an Audi and also nicer than a Volkswagen, I should be forgiven for becoming confused.

And then I cannot help but convey my confusion to my readers.

In so many respects the Volkswagen Comfort Coupe, with its sweeping coupe-like lines and beautiful design features, conveys the best on offer from the VW/Audi family.

And yet it somehow contrives to offer less at a higher price. And it creates some keen debate on exactly where it fits in, in which market it competes, and what its purpose is.

Well, as a true petrolhead, I can answer the last in a rather woolly fashion - because it is. Like the BMW X6.

Like the BMW X6, it's a splendid drive in its own way. Like the Range Rover Sport, it is somewhat special. And like the Porsche Panamera it doesn't look much like anything else.

It is a lot prettier than the Panamera though, I must add.

This is borne out by the fact that, surprisingly, it was one of the cars that turned the most heads when I had it on test. And the responses were mostly extremely positive, with a good collection of thumbs-up signs coming from fellow road-users, especially those behind the wheel of a People's Car.

The car I tried was the version with the two-litre turbo engine that also appears in the Audi A4 and the Golf GTi.

Here we have a car that somehow looks as if it should be slotted into the BMW 5 Series, Mercedes E-Class and Audi A6 range yet is less expensive than them all.

Yet it doesn't compete with its stablemate, the Passat (on which it is based), because it's a bit more expensive.

It certainly doen't weigh in as a sports car, either - for that it is just too long, too comfortable and a tad too soft. Eventually, I cannot help but think that the CC is VW's attempt at making a bit of a limousine in a bracket much lower than that of its Phaeton.

It's not really of any use to discuss the car's engine and such, because it's been done to death with the Audis. The figures are after all the same. Suffice to say, with the larger body, one would expect that performance is not quite as snappy as that of the more sporty GTi and A4.

But, somehow, driving the CC, one doesn't find oneself wishing for sharp-end performance. No, one rather prefers the more dignified take-off, the more restful cornering, the more sedate cruising.

LEADERS IN THE FIELD

At the same time, however, you can't fault the car's drive and handling. The long wheelbase allows steady handling and sweetly secure straight line runs, its engine a willing and able mill happily working away without appearing too light for the job.

Once again, VW/Audi's designers have outdone themselves with the cabin. The Audis of today are the leaders in this field. The seats are great, even though there are only four (hence my reference to offering less) and there's enough room for four six-footers to fit in without tangling elbows or legs.

I can't help but think that this is the car our politicians should have considered, rather than those fat limos they paid millions for - it's fast enough to get away from things, it's any day as comfortable to drive and ride in and it has enough space for a lot of luggage in an enormous boot, never mind the odd empty briefcase.

Another thing about this car that got me thinking was the quietness of its beauty. This is not an in-your-face kind of car at all. It has a reserved quality, one that says its driver enjoys beauty without shouting from the rooftops.

SAD FEELING

Of course, basic stuff like fuel consumption are important. With its slippery shape, the CC does not do badly at all. On a combined cycle that included a good mixture of urban and open roads, it presented me with a figure of 9.8 litres/100km and I do admit to pressing on somewhat, because the car was willing.

I have a sad feeling that, despite all its good attributes, this car won't sell here as well as it should. It is not macho, doesn't convey the boy racer image, and yet is so much more than just transport. I hope I am wrong.

At R365 500 for the 2.0 TSI Highline with the Tiptronic transmission, you're getting a hell of a lot of car for your bucks, that's no maybe. All VW warranties and maintenance plan goodies apply.