• Price£18,405
• We like...Size, space, comfort
• We don't...Not much power in a big car

We like big estate cars. And Volkswagen’s Passat has, for us, the right ingredients: abundant comfort, loads of useful space, and an understated, un-showy vibe. And when, like this Bluemotion, it offers the prospect of 50-plus mpg, low emissions and, as a result, affordable road tax/company car payments, it’s like we’ve entered the game and emerged winners.

This Passat may be a low-CO2 special, but don’t go thinking you’re in for a version that’s stripped to reduce weight. It feels as solid and tough as every other Passat. And, indeed, it weighs as much. As with the Golf and Polo Bluemotion models that VW already sells, the cleverness is in the detail.

First, the gearbox has taller ratios, so that the engine spins at lower revs when cruising. Then, the engine management chip is set to run leaner, and the engine idles more slowly. Next, the under-body is smoothed so that it slips through the air more easily, and the suspension is dropped by a few mm so better to hug the ground. Finally, the tyres roll faster.

All this means this Bluemotion travels 6mpg further per gallon than the ‘regular’ 1.9 diesel model on which it’s based. And the price difference? A fair-enough £300 extra.

Now, the Passat’s heavy for a 105bhp engine to tug along, and we know already that VW has tweaked the gears to scavenge fuel. It's the same engine as in the Golf Bluemotion, a smaller, lighter car, which even so, isn't overly eager. So it could be sluggish. But the motor shows willing, pushing the Passat along with reasonable verve, although we suspect that it will struggle once five plus luggage are in place.
And, while this Passat is a refined place to be, smooth-riding and otherwise-hushed, the engine raises its voice when pushed.
Otherwise, with this estate, it’s as you’d want: proper comfort for five, enough space for a fortnight’s holiday bags, and a rear seat that dips into the floor easily to treble the load area.

It’s sensibly but not lavishly equipped, so you get semi-auto air conditioning, a push-button handbrake and keyfob that pushes into a dash slot to start and silence the engine. There’s no sense that you’re missing by not choosing a costlier Passat.

Should you buy one? Certainly, because it offers a lot, looks sharp and runs cheaply. But, before you buy, check also Renault’s Laguna Sport Tourer. The 1.5dCi Expression matches the Bluemotion’s low CO2 figure, beats it by 2mpg for fuel economy and comes in at £1000 cheaper.

And while the Renault hasn’t quite the load space to match the VW, it’s sparkier and quieter on the move. But then the VW counters by hanging on to more of its value as it ages, cutting ownership costs. It’s close run, but we’d take the Passat – just.

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