SPY PICS: Volkswagen CC unlikely for Oz

Volkswagen Australia is not expected to reintroduce the CC nameplate to the local market, despite the expected unveiling of an all-new model in Paris later this year.

With the local company's desire to trim its model range down to a more easily manageable level, and the Volkswagen Group's pragmatic approach to dealing with slow-selling models (such as the second generation of the new Beetle), the CC's local performance will work against it.

Already removed from the local market, the CC saw its sales trickle to as low as 161 in 2015 before being discontinued. This compared with 2292 Passats and 249 Passat Alltracks sold during the same 12-month period.

There would need to be something special about the next CC for it to be taken seriously here, especially with the proliferation of competitors from high-profile premium-class German car-makers.

However, that something special could be the Volkswagen group's modular MQB platform, which will underpin the next-generation CC, for lighter weight and enlarged footprint. Industry sources say the wheelbase will be stretched by five centimetres, while the overall length will grow to around 4.9 metres.

The new CC is expected to show influences from the Sport Coupe Concept GTE – a classy, minimalist creation previewed at the 2105 Geneva motor show.

Attempting to decipher what lies beneath the extensive cladding on this test mule, snapped as it cruised the roads around the Nurburgring in Germany, suggests the next CC will exhibit some of the show car's design features while continuing themes from the existing model, including the arched side window line and coupe-style turret/body proportions.

As always, the mechanical aspects are open to speculation but it is already being suggested a hybrid version using the company's V6 engine as the basis is on the cards. FWD and AWD drivelines are also likely, as is the choice between four-cylinder turbo-petrol and diesel power.