The new Passat is broadly the same size as the old one, but it has a lower roofline, a longer wheelbase and larger wheels, which Volkswagen says gives it a more dynamic look but also better packaging for more interior space.

One distinctive feature – what VW designer Klaus Bischoff calls a “character line” runs almost the entire length of the car, contributing to that more muscular stance.

Inside, Volkswagen has aimed for a more exclusive look, with better materials and a feature more often associated with cars from prestige brands – ambient lighting. Harder to spot at first glance – an all-LCD instrument panel, although the design of the main gauges themselves is fairly traditional. In Germany, the new Passat range starts at a competitive EUR25,875, with the roomy estate coming in at EUR26,950.

New Passat pricing

While there’s no direct read-across to UK prices, that does seem to be a signal, at least, that Volkswagen isn’t using the arrival of the latest model to edge prices up significantly.

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European versions of the new Passat will be made at Emden and Zwickau in Germany, and will be unveiled to the public at the Paris Motor Show in October. UK sales will start before the end of the year, with the first deliveries expected in early 2015. ​

With CO2 emissions for the current car starting as low as 109g/km, expect the new Volkswagen Passat to better that with sub 100g/km CO2 figures, giving the new Passat a company car tax band possibly as low as 15% for the 2014/15 tax year.