Volkswagen raises the bar with the CC

In 2008, Volkswagen gave its worthy-but-unexciting Passat range a bit of sparkle by launching a low-slung fastback saloon called the Passat CC.

Resembling a scaled-down Mercedes CLS, but possibly more elegant and less aggressive, it was a hit for drivers who preferred class over flashiness. Now it's been given a facelift, losing its Passat badge for obscure marketing reasons.

Car makers that freshen up the styling of their best-looking products can sometimes wreck the aesthetic that made them a success. The CC's makeover, however, is a good one, with a variation of VW's current corporate grill and compound eye headlamps, minor changes to the sills, new, slightly less distinctive rear lights and re-styled bumpers.

Inside there are low-key tweaks to the classy interior to push it further upmarket and improvements to the sound-deadening materials and glazing to further quieten this already refined car.

The original CC only had four seats but this one will fit three in the back, although room for the middle passenger isn't over-generous. The low roof does reduce head room a bit but the plush interior is otherwise spacious.

The boot is deep and long, and its floor covers a full-size spare wheel. You can drop the back seats to carry more gear.

VW has given up selling 3.6-litre V6 petrol CCs, concentrating on a mix of four-cylinder 1.8 and 2.0-litre petrols and 2.0 diesels in various states of tune. The 2.0 petrol we tried was brisk and refined and worked well with the seven-speed DSG self-shifting transmission, which can be controlled manually with steering wheel paddles or gear lever. It proved far more responsive in this car than some other VWs and Audis.

The 140bhp diesel 2.0 - likely to be the best seller - lacked the petrol's ultimate refinement but pulled well with a six-speed manual gearbox, and with a claimed 55mpg was usefully economical.

The CC rode impressively, and handled very well indeed, displaying a pleasing classiness that remains a hallmark of the rest of the car.