For this money, I would want a real IRS, not a twist beam. I have sat in the Verano and I am afraid that the materials in the interior are no better than the Focus I had as a rental last week. Cheap plastics, chintzy leather and short seat cushions.
I am a base model buyer anyway. All the gee-gaws and doo-dads do nothing for me. How the car drives, turns, stops and overall integrity mean much more than gee-gaws and do-hickys. It's the base price that matters to me as I see "premium" and "tech" packages as ways to empty the wallet in a manner that doesn't enhance the driving experience of the car.
This is VW GTi money, a car that is, in my opinion, as screaming deal at a base of just under $30k. Even with the sport package and leather (which I would not buy) you are still only about $1500 away from a Verano.
This car will do little but take sales away from the dead in the showroom LaCrosse. It will, however, do well in China where it has a huge price advantage over the German imports, which have a 100% duty added to them.