DESPITE not being too much into the world of favourites, there are times when I can rise to the occasion and say with absolute sincerity that a certain vehicle is most definitely my all time number one in a particular genre.

The Volkswagen Passat has been in the game for almost four decades now having been on sale in the UK since 1973, since when more than 15 million units have been sold worldwide, proving that the Passat, in saloon or estate car form,  has definitely stood the test of time.

The seventh generation of the breed hit the showrooms in January last year moving ever closer to the premium sector.

The new car takes on not only a fresh appearance both inside and out with every panel and glass surface, apart from the roof, being new, while the latest technological advances and efficiency measures make this latest Passat one of the most advanced and economical cars in its class.

Built at VW's advanced Emden Plant in Germany, the overall length in the Passat Estate has grown by some 6mm and, although width remains the same, the new front end design gives the Passat an even greater presence.

This all-new look comes with clean lines and a pronounced new grille with chrome horizontal fins flanked by a pair of angular headlight units while, at the rear, distinctive tail lights are joined by chrome highlights which extend down the side of the car.

Inside VW has continued the fresh look delivering a revised dashboard with new dials, trim finishes and while an analogue clock is joined by subtle chrome highlights the centre console gets an update with revisions to minor controls as well as new door trims.

Loadspace, too, has received much attention to detail, the rear seats in both saloon and estate car body forms can now be lowered from the boot as well as the rear seat area. That is quite a boon when loading items into the boot as, with one movement the seat can be dropped, saving the need to stop and readjust the seat position.

Further attention to detail arrived when I discovered that the load cover in the estate car version now automatically retracts in a two stage process. A simple push in the centre causes the cover to retract half way while a second nudge sees it retract completely - good move this.

A new optional feature for the Passat estate is a sliding boot floor. Covering around half the depth of the loadspace is a sliding panel. For easy loading simply slide it to the end of the boot adjacent to the tailgate, place the load on the panel, which can be easily removed when not required, and slide it back into position at the rear of the loadspace - yet another thoughtful VW move.

In fact, this Passat Estate car does take load lugging to a new level with a capacity of 523 litres up to the height of the window edge. When the entire bootspace is utilised, including the 80 litre spare wheel recess, cargo capacity increases to 1,731 litres.

Luggage space is not only large but also practical, the estate's tailgate opening up to 2.03 metres high. Maximum bootspace width is 1.3 metres, minimum length is 1.3 meters and the overall cargo floor of the Passat Estate increases to 1.96 metres with rear seats folded.

A net partition can also be installed behind the first or second seat row, ensuring that no unwanted cargo shifts to join the passenger compartment.

Powered by a 2.0-litre TDI engine paired with a six-speed Direct Shift Gearbox (DSG) the car proved a fine performer with a 131mph top speed while the 0-62mph comes in around 10 seconds.

Fuel consumption is pretty competitive with Volkswagen claiming 54.3mpg on average and CO2 emissions of 135g/km. Most importantly, it is great to drive, is superbly alert and handles in very fine fashion indeed.

Also on hand to help assist mpg returns is VW's stop/start system which can be deactivated if necessary.

As one would expect, the VW Passat Estate is generously kitted out coming with BlueMotion eco techology, electronic stabilisation programme, semi automatic air con, electric windows all round, electronic parking brake, front comfort seats with driver electric assist, RCD 310 Radio/MP3 compatible CD player with eight speakers, multifunction computer, anti-theft wheel bolts and cruise control including fatigue detection system.

Overall, this is another fine piece of kit from Volkswagen, a stylish and smooth operator which has for business and family use stamped all over it.