The mainstay model in the range, Mercedes’ C-Class has been face lifted, with changes towards the interior and nose from the car, suspension and transmission settings, and fresh engine options.

Offered in saloon, hatchback ‘coupe’ and estate variants, this everyman Mercedes now features sharper handling with no penalty to ride comfort, more responsive six-speed transmission, and engines which go from a modest 2.0 litre diesel even a tuned V8 – the very first time that an AMG V8 continues to be available in this model.

The Kompressor (supercharged) four cylinder engine, formerly only offered in the Sports Coupe model, has become offered through the range.

Although entry-level price is low, it is surprisingly simple to rattle in the order price, because of Mercedes’ habit of relying heavily about the extras list for a lot of items that other auto makers provide as standard issue.