Do you remember the Passat CC? The CC stood for Comfort Coupe and, though it was more of the former than the latter, it nonetheless sold in reasonable numbers thanks to a svelte profile and refined ride and handling.

The Arteon is the car that the Passat CC always wanted to be. It is wrong, despite the similarities in concept, to view the newcomer as a direct replacement for the CC. For a start, the base price is substantially higher, a footprint that is substantially larger, and goals that are substantially more ambitious.

This is the car designed to tackle the formidable challenge that BMW, Mercedes and Audi represent in the premium compact sector. It’s safe to say that the Arteon has got its work cut out then.

The sleek, swooping profile does enough to catch the eye – the first step to stealing sales from its fellow Germans is to offer a distinct and appealing alternative – and the front end, with its LED headlights and daytime running lights that merge seamlessly with the bold chrome-plated crossbars of the grille and clamshell bonnet make the car look wider and appear closer to the road.

It sports reasonably muscular wheel arches and a crisp crease along its length that further enhances the second of those characteristics.

The roof sweeps down at the back aggressively. It’s effectively a hatchback but that paints entirely the wrong picture so VW would rather you referred to it as a fastback, a moniker that is far more in keeping with its premium aspirations

It is built on the firm’s flexible MQB platform that underpins VW models from the Golf to the Atlas SUV and that has allowed for 60mm to be added to its length, 16mm to its width and 10mm to its height in comparison to the Passat CC. Significantly, those dimensions ensure that the Arteon is longer than both the BMW 4 Series Gran Coupe and Audi A5 Sportback (hatchback?).

The range starts with the new SE trim, which comes with 18” Almere alloy wheels, full LED lights, adaptive cruise control with Front Assist, a Discover Navigation system with 8.0” touch screen display and three-zone climate control all fitted as standard, as well as two USB ports and front and rear parking sensors. Volkswagen’s Wireless App Connect system also brings the convenience of Apple CarPlay and Android Auto without needing to plug in a device.

Next up is Elegance, reviewed here, which gives you electric adjustment for the driver's seat backrest, as well as four-way lumbar adjustment, and manual adjustment for everything else, including height. Multi-way electrically adjustable seats are an option, while the seats themselves are quite flat and wide, but give good support. At the top of the range sits R-Line.

The dashboard is lifted straight from the Passat but that’s not a bad thing because it brings excellent ergonomics that make it a doddle to use. VW has added a little pizazz with tasteful inserts and contrast stitching on the seats. It does share some of its controls with the cheaper Skoda hatchbacks (fastbacks? Sportbacks?) which, obviously, compromises quality a little but, overall, the fit and finish is excellent.

The infotainment system is a decent effort. You get an eight-inch screen as a standard and the graphics are pin sharp. It’s a touchscreen interface, which makes it a little more awkward to operate when you’re on the move than systems that use analogue controllers but the on-screen icons are a good size and the menus intuitive. You also get Apple CarPlay and Android Auto included.

Upgrade to the Discover Pro system and you’ll get a 9.2in touchscreen with gesture control.

VW’s Active Info Display is fitted as standard. It replaces the analogue dials in the instrument binnacle with a 12.3in LCD screen. It can be customised to display useful additional information including sat-nav and phone contacts. There’s a head-up display among the options too, but this reflects onto a piece of pop-up plastic which makes it a little less clear than systems that use the windscreen.

Visibility is quite good considering the Arteon’s coupe-like profile. There are no issues with the view out the front but it is hampered slightly by the narrow rear window and thick, acutely-angled rear pillars. The standard-fit front and rear parking sensors are a big help here, while you can also add a rear-view camera to your options list.

There is lots of space up front with ample head, leg and shoulder room. If you were expecting me to say that passengers in the back fared badly, you’d be wrong. Okay, it’s true that the sloping roofline impacts on headroom but the amount of legroom on offer is impressive and you can comfortable accommodate three six foot-plus passengers across the rear bench.

The boot, while not quite as big as the Passat’s, is arguably more practical thanks to the large hatchback (fastback?) opening. It will swallow 563 litres of your luggage with the 60/40 split-folding rear seats in place, or 1,557 litres with them stowed away.

If petrol-power is your thing, you can choose between either a turbocharged 1.5-litre, a 187bhp 2.0-litre turbocharged unit which was under the bonnet of the car reviewed here, or a twin-turbo with 276bhp.

Performance from the 187bhp unit is brisk and, coupled with the seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox, it never feels overworked or strained. The DSG box is slick on the move but can be a little hesitant while you’re manoeuvring at low speeds.

In wet or slippery conditions the front wheels can struggle for traction which is a shame because the steering is nicely-weighted and precise – though not particularly feelsome – and in the dry it’s easy to place the front of the car accurately through corners.

Variable steering, which is standard on the Arteon, means that it feels much more settled at speed and a little sharper when you’re driving around town to make manoeuvring a little less strenuous.

You can have the Arteon with either adaptive or non-adaptive suspension. My review car rode on the latter and at motorway speeds it is generally compliant and comfortable. Sharper potholes and ridges can cause it to thump while around town it can feel a little unsettled. You’ll also find that it’s not immune to a fair amount of road noise, though wind noise is muted.

The Arteon is a little pricey, particularly when you can pick out some switchgear that it shares with the more humble Skodas. It is, however, spacious and hugely practical with a generous smattering of standard equipment. It isn’t quite as sporty as its looks suggest but it can still be fun to drive while retaining an impressive level of comfort.

VW Arteon Elegance 2.0-litre TSI 190PS 7-speed DSG

Price: £34,305

Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cylinder turbocharged petrol

Transmission: 7-speed DSG

Max power: 190PS

Max torque: 320Nm @ 4,180 – 6,000rpm

Max speed: 148mph

0-62mph: 7.7sec

Fuel consumption

Low: 24.6mpg

Medium: 35.4mpg

High: 42.4mpg

Extra high: 39.3mpg

Combined: 36.4mpg

Emissions (CO2): 144g/km

For more information visit www.vw.co.uk