JUST trying to keep abreast with all the comings and goings at Volkswagen over the last few months must have seriously tested the German marque's main dealers.

The new Up! three-door compact city car started to make its presence felt in March, followed by first deliveries of the new Beetle in April. The very same month saw the revised CC coupé make its way to dealers, while in May the new Passat Alltrack four-wheel-drive estate was added to the family-size range.

June saw a GTI version of the new Golf Cabriolet hit the streets and the five-door Up! made its UK debut in July.

Busy times indeed, but now thinks have settled down to give everyone a bit of a breather in order to take stock before the new Mk VII Golf makes its appearance.

One of the star acts to negotiate its way into showrooms is the new CC, now missing its Passat tag as VW strive to take the model more upmarket and give it an identity of its own.

Basically a heavily-revised version of the Passat CC introduced five years ago, it retains the sporty coupé styling of its predecessor while adding a host of individual touches to move the model on.

On the outside, the new nose takes on the VW family trait which also helps makes the car appear wider than it really is. The new chrome grille is flanked with light clusters which incorporates running lamps and high-intensity LED lamps are also fitted to the rear for added safety.

Inside, the finish is top quality and you immediately realise you are being cocooned in a premium-quality machine without a silly premium price tag.

While you can just about feel the quality oozing from the fittings and fixtures, the overall ambience of the cabin makes it a rather special place in which to be.

And there's masses of space for five adults with plenty of legroom and decent head space in the rear, even with its steeply-sloping roof.

Along with its competitive list prices, the CC - available in standard and GT trim - has a generous standard specification list that includes touchscreen satellite navigation system, 2Zone climate control, DAB digital radio, iPod and Bluetooth connectivity, 17-inch alloy wheels, bi-xenon headlights and brake energy recuperation.

Safety features include a driver alert system, ESP electronic stabilisation programme and four-way adjustable front head restraints which will reduce the risk of whiplash.

The flagship GT comes beautifully appointed, with full Nappa leather upholstery with heated front seats, three-mode adaptive chassis control, cruise control, front and rear parking sensors, 18-inch alloy wheels, front fog lights and heat insulating and sound-deadening tinted glass fitted as standard.

Options include a host of other safety features such as High Beam Assist, which automatically dips the headlights; Side Assist, which monitors the vehicle's blind spots; Lane Assist and adaptive cruise control with City Emergency Braking function.

All models in the range can also be fitted with the lightning-fast, twin-clutch DSG automatic gearbox.

The entry-level CC comes with VW's powerful 157bhp 1.8 TSI petrol unit. A larger 207bhp two-litre engine is reserved for the GT trim model, but with CO2 emissions ranging between 165 and 182g/km and fuel consumption not quite hitting 40mpg, it will be one of the two two-litre diesel variants - both featuring BlueMotion Technology - which will be the models of choice.

The 137bhp diesel will be the most popular, accounting for around 60 per cent of all CC sales.

And it's easy to see why, with its gutsy 130mph performance offering  masses of torque coupled with 60mpg economy and realistic 125g/km emmisions.

A more-powerful 164-brake version is even faster and pulls like a train. Yet fuel economy is not excessively compromised, with a claimed 57.6mpg. Emissions are set at 129g/km.

This version also features Volkswagen's XDS box of tricks, which works in conjunction with the traction control system to electronically mimic a mechanical differential. The end result is sharper handling and better grip.

There's no doubt Volkswagen has put in a lot of thought and hard work improving what was always a cracking machine, but whether or not a change of name will really make any real difference remains somewhat of a mystery for the moment.