Sector: Upper-medium Price: £27,220 Fuel: 61.4 CO2: 120g/km

While Volkswagen’s efforts to take itself upmarket have met with varied results (Phaeton – miss, Touareg – hit), it’s fair to say that it can lay claim to dominance of that gaping void between the volume hoi polloi and the executive aristocrats.

And this semi-premium market is where cars such as the CC (nee Passat CC) do so well, blending a desirable badge with a more value offering than the full blown German prestige marques.

The CC offers user-choosers a simple choice – the Volkswagen badge in a very stylish body and loaded with equipment, or an entry-level junior executive from its premium countrymen.

For me, the CC wins every time – its looks alone sway the decision in its favour, especially when in GT trim as tested with 18-inch wheels, LED lights and tinted rear windows.

And this is before you poke your head inside to admire the full Nappa leather interior, brushed aluminium trim and niceties such as a touchscreen infotainment system.

This top-spec GT model also comes with a host of other goodies such as heated front seats, cruise control, parking sensors, a DAB radio with iPod connectivity, Bluetooth telephony and dual zone climate control. It all adds up to make the CC’s cabin a very cossetting place in which to rack up the miles (although tall people sat in the back may find the sloping roofline something of an annoyance).

Out on the road the CC uses the ubiquitous 2.0 TDI engine in 140bhp guise. This gives decent mid-range push combined with 120g/km CO2 emissions and a theoretical average fuel economy figure north of 60mpg.

This is a car designed for cruising comfort, so don’t expect pin sharp handling and masses of feedback through the steering wheel. Instead, be impressed with the way that wind and engine noise are really well suppressed and enjoy cruising on the motorway at low revs in real comfort.