Volkswagen has launched a coupe cabriolet version of its Passat which will go on sale in the UK this summer.

The Passat CC was unveiled at the Detroit Motor Show and is VW’s attempt to move perception further away from its fleet image and push the Passat brand further up market.

The car will be available in the UK with a choice of three petrol and two diesel engines, a 1.8-litre TSI linked to a six-speed manual or new seven-speed DSG gearbox; the 2.0-litre TSI and a 3.6-litre V6 FSI with 4MOTION four-wheel drive and DSG gearbox as standard. Diesel engines will also be offered to UK buyers, in 138bhp and 168bhp guises linked to either six-speed manual or DSG gearboxes.