The last road test on the Volkswagen Passat highlighted my 12-mile commute to work and commented on the anticipated fuel efficiency improvements once its engine was fully run in.

Some people believe that modern cars do not need the running in period.

Our experience begs to differ.

After a heavy six weeks of driving, the Passat has now clocked just over 4,000 miles: what a difference those extra few hundred miles have made!

Average commuting fuel consumption was 47-49mpg when we took delivery of the car; now it’s 53-55mpg.

Where we’d previously topped out at 59.9mpg on a longer journey, now the record is 63.1mpg over an 80-mile route, which is actually 1.7mpg higher than the official 61.4mpg combined figure.

It’s worth emphasising this point at a time when the official testing process is under intense scrutiny from everyone from the national press to the Advertising Standards Agency.

With the efficiency box ticked, attention turns to other matters.

A little over three months into our test and the Passat is proving to be a highly competent fleet car, tackling long distances and urban driving with equal aplomb.

For fleets considering a family car, the Passat meets all the key criteria from both company and driver perspective.