Two things that usually don't go together are performance sedans and diesel engines. According to The Car Connection, Volkswagen is considering a diesel version for the 2009 Passat CC. Brett Scott, product planner for Volkswagen's trucks and mid-size cars, says when it comes to a diesel version of the new coupe-like four-door, the company is "certainly looking at it," though it's not currently in the product plan. In the short term, VW is working on adding engine detail to the badging on the new CC: the four-cylinder versions will be badged "CC 2.0," for example.

Volkswagen plans to open a new assembly plant in Chattanooga, Tennessee, in 2011. That plant will have a capacity of 250,000 vehicles when it's fully up to speed. VW plans to build a new mid-size sedan there, and intends to export it around the world. Since diesel is a must-have engine for some European markets, this global vision for the Passat CC may explain why diesel would be a useful engine for this car.

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