THINK of iconic brand names and in the case of VW, the Beetle and Golf spring to mind.
But the Passat has now been around for nearly 40 years and in that time has evolved from something of a rarity, to one of the best cars of its kind on the road.
I should know, I owned one in the mid-70s and and was blown away by the quality of the gold German hatchback that I paid quite a bit more for than I wanted to.
It was expensive to buy then and it is still not cheap, but then, as now, the quality of the car was the deciding factor in moving from an old Morris Marina. The VW was in a different class.
Now the Passat is a favourite across Europe can comes in a bewildering array of trim and specification, with the peace of mind of knowing that it will sell well later on.
As part of its line up VW introduced the R Line model last year to give customers more equipment and value for money.
The old range range of S, Highline, Sport and SEL was replaced with a S, R Line and Highline together with the economy conscious BlueMotion and blistering R36 topping the range.
VW says the R Line trim is based on the entry-level S, costs £600 more, but for this you get £2,470 worth of extra gear - quite a trick.
Additions include 17-inch 'Monte Carlo' alloy wheels and an 'R' styling pack which adds front, side and rear skirts as well as chrome louvres and grille surround.
The interior gains cruise control, height adjustment and lumbar support on both front seats, a front centre armrest and leather multifunction steering as well as an electronic tyre pressure monitoring system and, the first in its class, a fully electronic parking brake that works on all four wheels.
Style-wise, the car is eye-catching rather than stunning and borrows some of the styling cues from VW's flagship Phaeton, including the rear circular lights.
The interior is typically Volkswagen with precision being the keyword, whether from the reassuring clunks when closing doors to the perfectly fitting door compartments.
Some of the plastics let it down slightly, but otherwise the car compares well with some of the lower end executive models from its own stablemate Audi and German rivals Mercedes and BMW that cost considerably more.
There is a pleasing simplicity to the layout with logical and easy-to-use controls and it is hugely practical. Five adults can be seated relatively comfortably while it features a huge boot.
There are a number of engine options on offer and the test model 160bhp 1.8 litre TSI proved both economical and powerful.
It also pulled exceptionally well at lower revs, which you would usually associate more with a diesel.
Even the entry level 1.4-litre petrol engine, which you would think would have difficulty pulling such a big car, develops more than 120bhp.
The refined engine is mated to a typically precise six-speed gearbox and delivers nearly 40mpg while keeping CO2 emissions low.
Ride and handling are excellent. The Passat feels taut and agile, while dealing with most road surfaces comfortably.
Standard safety kit includes ABS with ESP, front, side and curtain airbags while for extra comfort air conditioning, remote central locking with alarm and advanced radio/CD player with MP3 compatibility and AUX-in socket for connection to an external multimedia source.
The Passat goes from strength to strength, no wonder it has been around so long.
FAST FACTS
Volkswagen Passat 1.8 TSI R-Line saloon
Price: £20,645
Mechanical: 160bhp, 1,995cc, 4cyl petrol engine driving front wheels via 6-speed manual gearbox
Max speed: 137mph
0-62mph: 8.6 seconds
Combined mpg: 38.2
Insurance group: 13
C02 emissions: 172g/km
BIKrating: 25%
Warranty: 3yrs/ 60,000 miles