AUSTRALIA may miss out on the next Volkswagen CC, as the company concentrates on improving the closely related Passat midsizer.

Caught in near-production prototype guise undergoing final testing near Audi’s Ingolstadt base in Germany, the low-slung four-door coupe is set to surface this year.

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Along with a greater emphasis on stronger individuality, to better take on the Mercedes-Benz C-Class, BMW 3 Series, and Audi A4, the new look is reportedly vital in distancing today’s Volkswagens from models tainted by the emissions cheating scandal.

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Even the move to drop the Passat prefix when the range was facelifted in 2012 has not really helped the CC, with just 161 units sold last year, reflecting a 44 percent decline. Its best years were 2012 (848), 2010 (891), and the model’s first full year of availability in Australia, 2009 (902).

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