Why A New Volkswagen Ad Bugs Me

What You Really See In Spot for the CC





I haven't been in a Volkswagen CC yet, but the early buzz is good and, at the very least, it looks like a winner. It looks like it wants to be an Audi or mid-level BMW but without the price tag. At least to a point.
That was driven home in a TV spot I caught yesterday, which featured plenty of angles that gave the CC a come-hither look and was tagged with a screen that offered a $299 monthly lease with $2,699 down.
But wait, there's more.
On the bottom of the screen, there was -- in slightly smaller type -- "As shown...." Turns out, the car that had gotten our attention could be had, but only for a lease payment of $519 a month with $2,699 down.
Bit of a spread there, huh?
So, there's nothing deceptive about the ad, in a sense. They tell you everything that needs to be told. But there was that nagging come-on of $299. In theory, you could get a car for that price, but good luck.
That number would be based on the MSRP for the CC Sport, which is $26,790. But the model shown on the CC home page, the VR6 Sport, goes for $38,700. It's rare to see two models of the same car priced so disparately.
I'd be curious as to how many of the cheaper Sports you'd find at your local VW dealer. I'll place a safe wager on not many.
They may have a few in stock only to show how it pales in comparison to the next model up, which stickers at $32,350. After all, you couldn't possibly do without leather seats, rain-sensing wipers and a kick-ass sunroof, for starters.
It seems like a waste that VW would have an entry-level model -- especially when it's not priced like one -- if only for the sake of a teaser rate for a TV spot.
Chances are if you head to the showroom you'd opt for a sportier version of the CC than the Sport. That might be exactly what's intended, but it's a cynical approach to marketing from a company whose success has been built on advertising that's been anything but cynical over the years.