For a generation the Volkswagen Passat has provided image-conscious couples with the answer to a problem. You need a spacious family workhorse, so that rules out the cars you’d really like — a BMW 3-series, Mercedes C-class or Audi A4.

At the same time you simply cannot countenance driving a Ford or Vauxhall, partly because of Mondeo and Vectra-scale depreciation but mainly through fear of what the neighbours will say.

You want something your children can torture, your friends can admire and you can own for years knowing it’ll keep you sane and be worth something at the end. And after wrestling with this thorny problem for all of 30 seconds you buy a Passat.

VW knows this is its big saloon’s selling point and it’s not something it has forgotten in the design of this sixth-generation Passat. For an all-new car it is spectacularly unadventurous: as middle of the road as David Gray, as technically honed as Phil Collins, and little more entertaining than either.

Its greatest diversion from the Passat formbook is that it no longer uses a platform shared with the old Audi A6, but an extended version of that used by the new Golf. What a rebel.

None of this stops VW trying to convince you that the new Passat is a “car full of emotion” and one that will satisfy every sporting sinew in your body; but if you take a test drive you’ll not be far beyond the showroom doors before you realise that’s cobblers. It’s just another Passat, albeit rather more modern, and I for one cannot fault that.

In fact if you claw your way through the guff spouted by the marketing men and look just at the car, it’s pretty clear that VW’s engineers have understood exactly what’s required.

This new Passat is slightly bigger in every direction and slightly more spacious. The ride quality — its predecessor’s weakest link — is now as good as any in its class and all the engine variants I tried were admirably refined. The notable exception is the noisy 1.6 litre petrol unit, which should be avoided like a pint of time-expired prawns.

Surprisingly, the 140bhp 2 litre TDI diesel motor, the same one that made such a racket in the Audi A4, is in an altogether more tranquil mood in the Passat.

Here it offers not only a convincing blend of performance, outstanding economy and tax-friendly emissions, at motorway speed it’s quiet enough to let you cruise in comfort for the 700-plus miles it will cover between fills. That’s London to Scotland. And back. Moreover, you could comfortably do it with four 6ft adults on board and a chest of drawers in the boot.

Off the motorway it’s just as hard to criticise. Sure, it’s scarcely more fun than watching repeats of the news, but I can’t see how that’s going to worry the Passat driver in the slightest. To some its steering may seem lacking in feel and excitement but it is nonetheless pretty precise and direct.

Likewise the chassis is as poised and secure as any in the class, allowing the Passat to be cornered at speed without fear of reprisal. Curious to find out just how much provocation it would take before it bit back, I turned off its electronic stability control systems and really abused it, resulting in nothing more edgy than the car deciding it was being driven by such a berk it had better turn them back on again. Very Passat, that.

In fact the only thing I took exception to was the quality of some of its interior panels. Though the cabin is reasonably modern in appearance and the dashboard sensibly laid out, there are too many hard plastics, and in some cars I drove at the launch they did not align precisely.

This is an odd mistake for a VW to make but I thought the same when I noticed similar problems in Mercedes back in the late 1990s. In Mercedes’ case these were the first signs of a slide down the quality slope that has done untold damage to its brand in the intervening years and from which it is yet to recover. In the Passat it could be nothing — a minor fit and finish issue with some early cars — but I’ll be keeping my eye on it.

Still, it’s not enough to spoil what is otherwise an extremely well-judged and deftly executed car. It’s not exciting in the least but you can’t blame VW for talking up its game. “Child-proof workhorse you can drive in public” may be the most accurate description of its strengths but that’s not going to find you many fresh sales in a tricky and rapidly contracting corner of the market.

The range, which at first comprises two diesel (1.9 litre 105bhp and 2 litre 140bhp) and two petrol engines (1.6 litre 115bhp and 2 litre 150bhp), is on sale at prices from £14,995 to £19,810.

Later in the year they will be joined by a high-output 2 litre 170bhp diesel (which trades refinement for a subjectively modest performance increase) and a range-topping 3.2 litre 250bhp V6 petrol engine. Doubtless it will be fast but will it be fun? I don’t know, but I have my doubts. A speeded-up Phil Collins is still Phil Collins.

THE OPPOSITION

Model Honda Accord 2.2 i-CDTi £19,025
For Smooth engine. Good looks and handling
Against Steering a shade too light. Otherwise very little

Model Peugeot 2 litre HDi £16,950
For Spacious and comfortable. Frugal too
Against Estate better. Lacks image and interior quality

VITAL STATISTICS

Model Volkswagen Passat 2.0 TDI
Engine type Four cylinders in line, 1968cc
Power/Torque 140bhp @ 4000rpm / 236 lb ft @ 1750rpm
Transmission Six-speed manual
Fuel/CO2 47.1mpg/ 162g/km
Performance 0-62mph: 9.8sec / Top speed: 130mph
Price £17,145
Verdict Another boringly brilliant Passat
Rating 4/5