A FAITHFUL old friend has returned to the fold as VW reinstates the Jetta. As Bora drifts into obscurity, its replacement looks to all intents and purposes like a shrunken Passat - and is none the worse for it.

What you get is a medium-sized, practical saloon that will never let you down and which looks much more striking and memorable than the model it supercedes.

Fitted with the superb 2.0 TDI engine, Jetta will transport you from here to way, way over there in complete comfort. Its capacity to gobble up the miles is astounding.

The turbo diesel motor and sixspeed box give it longer legs than a supermodel and it will romp along at the legal limits with barely any engine noise to wear you out.

All the time it sips at the fuel with 50mpg easily achievable. VW really do make the most amazing oil-burners.

Equally impressive is the Jetta's ability to sprint and overtake. The 140bhp excretes torque in waves allowing the driver the freedom to choose when and where to overtake, helped by the slickness of the gearbox that allows quick changes.

Handling is the only slight glitch. The front is fine and dandy, nicely planted issuing plenty of feedback to the driver. On wet or poorly-surfaced roads it will wheelspin if too much throttle is given in low gears, but it's fine.

The back end feels a bit wobbly, a bit like running a flat tyre. Yet when I checked the tyre pressures it was fine. There's a tad too much travel and not enough damping and it can all go a bit wayward if you are not careful. That said, ride and comfort are very good.

Jetta is also an easy car to live with thanks to a decent specification, exceptionally comfortable seats and a huge boot. Thr test car came with aircon, sat-nav, heated seats and a decent hi-fi, among other things.

Many drivers think back fondly to Jettas of yesteryear and were disappointed when it fell off the model list. Well, they can breathe easy as it is back and back with a vengeance.