2012 Volkswagen Tiguan Sports

2013 Volkswagen CC Facelift Unveiled Before its LA

Some four years and 270,000 sales worldwide after the launch of the Volkswagen Passat's flashy four-door coupe sibling, it's time for the CC to receive its first mid-life makeover.

Set to make its world debut at the upcoming 2011 Los Angeles Auto Show later this month, the 2013 Volkswagen Passat packs some select visual scrub ups to bring it up to date with the German brand's more recent offerings.

You can spot the new model by the redesigned front that gets a new chrome-trimmed grille, reshaped headlamps that incorporate a ring of LEDs and a reworked bumper.

Similar changes can be found at the back with the new LED tail lamp, bumper and boot lid designs. A fresh choice of colors and alloy wheel options round off the exterior updates.

Inside, VW's designers tinkered around with the air-conditioning controls and trim options while the company says it has improved the standard features across the range with the addition of a fatigue detection system, new audio, stainless steel door sills and safety head restraints with additional longitudinal adjustment for the front seats.

For the 2013 model year, there is also a new batch of available assistance systems such as the Side Assist Plus with integrated Lane Assist that warns of vehicles in blind spots and assists driver in avoiding an accident by steering intervention, Dynamic Light Assist and a camera-based traffic sign detection system.

In the USA, the CC will launch with the same engine lineup as before, including a 200HP 2.0-liter TSI petrol and a 280HP 3.6-liter V FSI petrols (FSI).

There are no changes to the European lineup either, with the CC being offered with several TSI petrol and TDI diesel engines ranging in output from 140HP to 300HP. The most fuel-efficient version is powered by the 140HP 2.0 TDI that delivers a combined fuel consumption of 4.7lt/100km (equal to 50mpg US).

The refreshed Volkswagen CC will first launch in Germany in February 2012, then gradually across Europe, America, Russia, China (local version starting in 2013) and other sales regions.