2015 Volkswagen CC: Outside The Curve

The CC succeeds in making its Passat underpinnings look sexy.

Volkswagen has marketed the CC as offering a 'sporty' ride.

The 2015 Volkswagen CC continues to offer a style-focused alternative to the standard four-door answer to the commuting question.

There aren't many surprises in the CC's control surfaces.

The VW's infotainment system is two steps behind more modern efforts such as the unit found in the more affordable Volkswagen Golf.

The Volkswagen's second set of doors are less of a mail slot than you would think.

The version of the CC that I drove featured a four-cylinder engine.

The car's two-tone leather seats were textured and ribbed to the point where I thought I might have been teleported into the cabin of a car costing twice as much.

If only the rest of the CC's switchgear had kept pace with the car's fashion-forward attitude.

The CC offers fairly connected handling given the size of the car.

I was less enamoured of the DSG unit's familiar lag off of the line.

Cargo space is aided and abetted by a fold-down rear seat.

I was able to get in and out of the CC without a problem, regardless of what position I was sitting in.

I was impressed with the overall quality of the passenger compartment.

The VW CC shrinks down some of the practicality of its mid-size platform-mate.

The VW CC could use an update inside to keep its technology on track.

The Dynaudio system didn't offer the kind of well-defined sound I prefer from a car stereo.

The presence of both a slot in the dash for the key fob and an engine start/stop button on the centre console offered two methods for firing up the VW.

The CC's blend of fashion and functionality has a good thing going as the only game in town.