FSI is quick becoming a well-known acronym in town. It stands for Fuel Stratified Injection. This means that instead of fuel being sucked into an engine during the induction phase, as is usual in petrol engines, the injector squirts the fuel directly into the cylinder, at times depending on engine speed and load. This is more in the manner of how the TDI diesel engines are fuelled and helps raise the fuel efficiency closer to that of the diesel engine, while of course maintaining petrol engine characteristics such as the ability to rev.

The 2.0 FSI engine as tested here in the Passat has been tried already in the VW Golf GTI and develops 197bhp at 5100rpm, backed up by a very diesel-like 207lb.ft of torque at just 1800rpm. So the answer to the question "what do you get if you cross a petrol engine with a diesel engine?" could well be a Volkswagen FSI.

Is this engine a success? That's a qualified yes for the moment. Certainly one diesel trait that is carried over into FSI is noise. On start up, it sounds like a diesel, a very good one with less clatter than usual, but still enough for passengers to ask the question. Under acceleration too there is more than a hint of diesel gruffness and I was quite surprised that as much of the noise reached the passenger compartment as did. Let's be perfectly clear, I'm not suggesting that the FSI engine in the Passat is noisy, just that it is more likely to be mistaken for a good diesel unit rather than a normal petrol engine. One week on I still hadn't really got used to the sound; maybe over a longer period it would be less obvious.

Power wise, 197bhp is right on the money, although the new VW Passat is no lightweight. Maximum speed is claimed to be 146mph with 0-62mph taking just 7.7 seconds. Subjectively the Passat didn't feel as quick as that, again the diesel like trait of building up speed gradually rather than with a sudden on-cam rush is the reason for this. The Passat certainly had no problems overtaking; it just all felt very serene.

And at the pumps, an effort was needed to remember what fuel to fill it with - definitely the Super Unleaded petrol please. Even fuel economy went some way to VW's claims of being nearer to diesel fuel efficiency with an official combined figure of 34.4mpg. Indeed during most of my testing, I was achieving around 35mpg driving at normal speeds. Upping the pace cost dearly though; a day of faster driving on quiet country roads (strictly research you understand) dropped fuel economy to the low 20s; not so good, but on a par with the Passat's rivals.

Spirited cross country work: with what it did to the fuel economy, maybe it's a blessing that the new Passat does not encourage this kind of driving. The steering is light and lacking in much feel though the helm is electro-mechanical rather than pure electric assistance. Although the chassis is competent (more so in the dry when equipped with the optional 235/47 R17 tyres of our test car), it doesn't pass enough information back to the driver. On fast sweeping bends you know the Passat should get round the corner without difficulty, but the car doesn't seem so sure, conveying a feeling of unease not through any lack of poise, just one of not giving the driver the required confidence in what's happening. The VW Passat is much happier with the speed a notch down; cruise with the outside lane traffic but don't be the fastest; make good progress cross country but remember it's not a race. Under these conditions, the Passat comes into its own, being comfortable, stable and relaxing; well almost relaxing; too much road noise from those wide tyres ruins all the good VW work in keeping wind noise well curbed.

In town the VW Passat is a fine place to be, with one exception. The Passat is equipped with an electric handbrake and I never did get to grips with it. Hill starts became a nightmare to be avoided at all costs as pushing the button gave me no clue as to the release point. Maybe it's a familiarity thing and though it frees up interior space between the front seats, it wasn't to my tastes.

Our car, being SEL specification had seats in half leather, half Alcantara. Very inviting they looked, and very comfortable they were too with a wide range of (electric) adjustment available to ensure the perfect driving position was found. The six-speed gearbox had a very short throw making gearchanging a delight, almost a shame that the engine didn't need much stirring of the gear lever.

As with all top line VWs, the interior is a master class in good design, the blend of materials is a success and makes the Passat look far more expensive than it actually is. The 2.0 SEL FSI is just £21,595 on the road, although our car was bumped up into another price range entirely coming equipped with the 7.5 x 17-inch alloy wheels, keyless entry system, steering wheel controls for the radio and trip computer, Bi-Xenon headlights (so good they should be standard, and they steer round corners at low speed), DVD satellite navigation system (more on that later), electric seats, electric sunblinds, parking sensors at both ends (a must) and suddenly we're driving a £27,000 car. To be fair, it looked and felt £27,000 too, though that price puts it into uncomfortable competition with more 'executive' brands including Audi.

The satnav! Oh what a paradox. It took a while to get the better of the system, so many settings to sort to my personal preferences, but on the whole it was good. Destinations could be entered either as address or as postcode; it was pre-loaded with useful sites such as petrol stations, but did it have its foibles?! Travelling round the south-west quadrant of the M25, suddenly it lost its bearings and decided even though I knew I was in the outside lane, that I had gone off the road. The next day it did the same thing in the same place, so clearly its mapping is a little out. It also had this habit of displaying miles in the morning and kilometres in the afternoon, despite my not touching any settings. And finally when displaying kilometres on the unit, the small multi-function display in the centre of the instrument panel would display the same amount, but as miles - so the satnav would read 90km to destination, the (easier to view) panel in front of the driver would read 90 miles! More distracting when being counted down to a junction...

In common with the majority of updated models, the new VW Passat is predictably larger than the outgoing model, being a full 62mm longer and 74mm wider. However only 6mm of this extra length made it within the wheelbase. It certainly looks bigger. Even so soon after launch, the new Passat is no rare sight on Britain's motorways and as one came up behind me the width was unmistakeable compared to the previous model. And to be fair, it feels quite a wide car to drive, needing some careful threading through gaps. The payoff for the extra width is of course extra interior space, and interior width the Passat has it spades. It's a most spacious car with plenty of room for five large passengers and their luggage, very well suited to the family man who wants a prestigious car, or a manager who doesn't like to rush to his meetings, where arriving refreshed is more important than arriving with a grin on his face.

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Volkswagen Passat Saloon UK range overview

S level: VW Passat S FSI 1.6-litre 6-speed manual at £15,325 to VW Passat S TDI 2-litre DSG at £18,795.

SE level: VW Passat SE FSI 1.6-litre 6-speed manual at £16,715 to VW Passat SE TDI 2-litre DSG at £20,085.

Sport level: VW Passat Sport FSI 2-litre 6-speed manual at £19,470 to VW Passat Sport TDI DSG (140PS) at £21,525. (Note that a 170PS TDI engine is imminent) .

- VW Passat SEL FSI 2-litre 6-speed manual: £21,595
- VW Passat SEL FSI 2-litre auto tiptronic: £22,915
- VW Passat SEL FSI V6 4MOTION DSG: £25,815