Spied: 2013 Volkswagen Passat CC

When it was introduced for 2009, the Passat-based Volkswagen CC brought a sense of upscale fashion to its brand, the beauty of the Mercedes-Benz CLS for those on a Macy’s budget. (With the 2011 Sonata, Hyundai would then bring that style down to those on a Target budget.) But, based on these spy shots, it looks like the chic CC’s mid-cycle refresh will—unfortunately—include VW’s bland new corporate grille.

Beneath the camo of this car, caught in the mountains of the Old Country, we can see hints of the CC’s flatter, squarer, and likely more-boring front end. New, rectangular headlights like those on the 2012 Passat will accompany the new grille, and it looks like the lower intake also will be bracketed by four right angles. It’s hard to make out exactly what shape the tail will take, but we can speculate it’ll be more angular and sharp to better pair with the nose.

Last fall, the CC took down the Acura TSX V-6 and new Buick Regal Turbo in its first comparison test. Although it was much older than the competition and down on power, the CC’s smoothness, refinement, and responsive chassis helped it take the crown. Most of that should be unaffected by the face lift, including its sweet little workhorse 2.0-liter turbo four.

From the get-go, though, the CC’s cosmopolitan styling separated it from the other two cars in that test. While we’re particularly skeptical of how Volkswagen’s dull face is going to mesh with the rest of the CC’s curvaceous skin, we’ll withhold our final judgment until the camo slips off.

Thanks to: Car and Driver