Sector: Upper-medium Price: £31,685 Fuel: 54.3mpg CO2: 137g/km

Aside from the Touareg and the Phaeton (yes, they do still make it), this CC is one of the most expensive Volkswagens you can buy. This gives the CC a few headaches as it is priced into direct competition with some seriously desirably user-chooser cars.

The CC’s positioning is almost a microcosm of the Volkswagen brand – both straddle that strange middle ground between the volume brands and the premium marques. As a result, the CC has to not only differentiate itself in buyers’ eyes from the Passat on which it is based, but it also has to tempt drivers of Audi A4s, BMW 3 Series and the like out of their cars.

Volkswagen’s approach to this is two-fold. Firstly, the CC wears a stylish set of clothes to make it stand out on the road, with frameless doors and a narrow, sloping glass line hinting at luxury and performance. Inside, there’s a fair attempt to lift the ambience above the Passat with sculpted leather seats and a few extra dashes of chrome and leather around the cabin.

The second way of boosting the CC’s appeal is to load it with standard equipment, hopefully to tempt drivers of bog-basic premium saloons to overcome their badge addiction and instead enjoy what is arguably a nicer car in which to spend a lot of time.

All CCs are well equipped, but this R-Line model ticks virtually every box in terms of niceties – leather seats, brushed aluminium trim, 18-inch alloy wheels, dual-zone climate control, bi-Xenon headlights, DAB radio, cruise control, satellite navigation… it’s a pretty comprehensive list and far outweighing what comes as standard on an entry-level 318d or A4.

Add in a strong and smooth 177bhp diesel engine and DSG automatic gearbox and you’ve got a car which offers style, pace and generous equipment levels.

Verdict:

The CC deserves to sell well – it just needs some open-minded user-choosers who are prepared to look beyond the lack of a premium badge.