There was a time when the Passat estate was considered, ahem, not very cool. A middle of the road estate for people who didn’t really care how they got from A to B, as long as they got there.

There have been a few sporty and interesting versions along the way, the Passat has, after all, been around since 1973 when SUVs were a pipe dream and Britain first joined the EEC.

The Alltrack is by far the most expensive, not just because it has four-wheel drive but because it is fully loaded with every driving aid that VW could throw at it.

For all that, I think the Passat has developed an understated ‘cool’ – it stands for longevity, reliability and a classless aura that you just don’t get with a Mercedes or Audi estate.

Cool? Perhaps not in the true sense but I still look forward to driving it every day…