Volkswagen's CC 'four-door coupe' has finally given up its smiley face to conform to the company's more straight-laced corporate look.
The biggest changes take place at the front end where, like the Passat it's based on, the CC is a little less bold but its larger bi-xenon headlights with static cornering function and smaller chrome grille do create a neater overall look.
It's a similar story at the rear end, where the main attraction is its new LED taillight design.
You won't notice too many radical changes to the cabin, but you will find more gadgets if you stretch that bank balance, with a raft of new optional driver assistance systems. These include a camera-based traffic sign detection system, Dynamic Light Assist and a lane assistant system that warns of blind spots and assists accident avoidance via steering intervention.
VW also now offers 'climate seats' with integrated massage function. What's more, a fatigue detection system now joins the list of standard features.
Beneath the bonnet, the CC continues with the familiar range of turbocharged TSI petrol and TDI diesel engines and the latter are now equipped with an idle-stop system as standard while all models are fitted with a system that recovers braking energy.
For the record, the European market gets three TSI engines (118kW 1.8, 155kW 2.0 and 220kW 3.6 V6) and two 2-litre TDI motors (103kW and 125kW).
All but the base TSI and TDI engines are offered in the current South African range and that's unlikely to change when the new CC reaches our shores during the second quarter of next year.