Volkswagen is a good study on how to take a common compact sedan and make it into something inventive and imaginative. Take the Jetta SportWagen and the CC. The sport wagon is inspired from the Jetta sedan and turned into a functional yet fun-to-drive sporty vehicle. The four-passenger CC sedan has four doors yet appears more coupe-like.

Volkswagen stays interesting in the 2010 market by producing models that raise expectations in the compact-car segment.

Introduced as an all-new vehicle to the brand for the 2009 model year, the CC carries over into the 2010 model year unchanged. Two major unusual characteristics regarding the CC: It is a sedan that seats only four people, yet it’s a four-door, which as a vehicle category typically seats five passengers; and it’s a sedan that is designed to look like a coupe.

Breaking away from the bland compact sedan segment makes sense. There’s a whole market of buyers who want the functionality of a four-door but whose self-image is more grounded in the coupe market.

The CC starts at $27,100 and comes equipped with a six-speed manual transmission that is hooked to a 2.0-liter, four-cylinder, turbocharged engine with direct injection.

A six-speed automatic with manual Tiptronic is optional. The engine generates 200 horsepower and 207 pound-feet of torque. My tester had EPA fuel economy ratings of 21 miles per gallon city and 31 mpg highway. The CC also is available with a 3.6-liter V-6 that produces 280 horsepower and 265 pound-feet of torque. Fuel economy is listed as 18/27 mpg.

The four-passenger interior has seating that is ergonomically formed to hold passengers snuggly for lateral support. The exterior design is probably one of the best for Volkswagen. Designers have managed to give VW a model that tilts toward luxurious looks. The sweeping lines from front to rear make the sheet metal look like a jewel, and the rear-swept roofline is the signature element that imaginatively redefines this sedan into a seemingly virtual coupe.

The famed Jetta easily captures the sports wagon market with a stable reputation of easy-to-handle, nimble compact fun. The 2010 Jetta SportWagen starts at $19,265 for the 170-horsepower, five-cylinder base level S model.

Volkswagen reports that the TDI wagon model is eligible for a $1,300 federal tax credit through its qualification as an Advanced Lean Burn Technology Motor Vehicle. I drove the SportWagen TDI that achieves fuel ratings of 40 mpg highway.

The 50-state compliant turbo-diesel wagon features a 2.0-liter, four-cylinder that delivers 140 horsepower and 236 pound-feet of torque. The tester was optionally equipped with the $1,100 six-speed automatic transmission. The $1,300 power panoramic sunroof was a breath of luxury. Loading gear and packages through the rear gate is effortless, of course, as this front-wheel drive vehicle is a small wagon – not at all in the same class with midsize crossovers or even compact SUVs.

New for 2010, the Jetta SportWagen has an all-new front end with a narrow double-bar grille that sits above the bumper, giving it a more aggressive, sporty look.

Volkswagen demonstrates with the Jetta SportWagen and the CC that it’s an inventive brand and quick to listen to customers. In the Strategic Vision 2009 Total Value Index, the CC and the Jetta SportWagen received high ratings from buyers who were satisfied with the value and price.

Source: [New York Daily News]