Automotive News - January 14, 2008 - (Page 26) 26 • JANUARY 14, 2008 DETROIT AUTO SHOW VW goes upscale with Passat CC — cautiously Diana T. Kurylko dkurylko@crain.com The Volkswagen Passat CC will have a base price in the mid-$20,000 range. DETROIT — Trying to give its vehicle range some luxury appeal without repeating past mistakes of aiming too high, Volkswagen is introducing a fourdoor with coupe styling. The Passat CC, which was scheduled to be shown here Sunday at the Detroit auto show, combines sleek styling and technology. Determined not to repeat the pricing mistake it made with the $70,000-plus Phaeton sedan, VW will give the CC a base price in the mid-$20,000 range. That would position the CC above the Passat sedan. VW executives say the CC will be a niche vehicle with lower production volume than the Passat’s. VW has decided to keep the CC name it used throughout development. CC stood for concept coupe — even though the car has four doors — because of the coupelike sloping roof. The CC seats four people and has a transparent sunroof that’s 29.5 inches long and 44.1 inches wide, extending to the B-pillar. VW says it used a new design for the CC’s backseat, instrument cluster and climate control system. The CC goes on sale in the United States in September. c The Genesis sedan is Hyundai’s first U.S. rear-drive V-8 model. Hyundai’s evolution: The Genesis Kathy Jackson kjackson@crain.com DETROIT — Hyundai will introduce its first U.S. rear-drive and V-8 vehicle when the 2009 Genesis sedan arrives on dealer lots this spring. Hyundai was scheduled to show the production model of the Genesis at the Detroit auto show on Sunday. The base vehicle will be powered by a 3.3-liter V-6 making 264 hp and 233 pounds-feet of torque. A 3.8-liter V-6 produces 290 hp, and a 4.6-liter V-8 produces 368 hp. It’s a big move for Hyundai, which is preparing to compete in the reardrive luxury market and further distance the brand from sibling Kia. Says John Krafcik, product development chief for Hyundai Motor America: “While Genesis will compete for customers with cars like Chrysler 300 and Pontiac G8, our engineering benchmarks were Mercedes E class, Infiniti M and Lexus GS.” He adds: “We think it has the opportunity to be an extremely disruptive force in the large sedan and nearluxury segments.” Each trim line comes with a sixspeed automatic transmission that also can operate in manual mode. Japanese supplier Aisin Seiki Co. Ltd. makes the transmission teamed with the V-6 engines. The V-8 uses a sixspeed transmission made by German manufacturer ZF Friedrichshafen AG. The five-seat sedan has 109.4 cubic feet of interior space and has a leather and wood instrument panel with standard Bluetooth and iPod inputs. The Lexicon 500-watt surround sound audio system has 17 speakers and standard XM satellite radio. Standard safety equipment includes electronic stability control, eight airbags and Hyundai’s first electronic active head restraint system. The company says the base model will sell for less than $30,000 and the V-8 for less than $40,000. c http://www.protective.com/dealerservices http://www.protective.com/dealerservices http://www.protective.com/dealerservices http://www.protective.com
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