Mercedes-Benz C-Class Coupe review

Those in the front seats will have a fabulous time. The C-Class’s latest tech injection brings perhaps the finest media layout in the business, twinning some endlessly customisable TFT dials with a slender central screen that sits perfectly in the driver’s line of vision. It's also shaped brilliantly for smartphone integration.

While the new steering wheel looks to be festooned with a slightly complex array of buttons, they’re all placed wonderfully and the thumbpads are dead easy to use on the move. You’ll barely take your eyes off the road, which is miraculous given just how much functionality they have control over.

Among that is the ultra-gimmicky ‘Energising Comfort, which combines massage seat functions, climate control and ambient lighting to relax or energise you behind the wheel. One mode sees it imitating a walk along the beach, with cold air blowing through the vents like a sea breeze. Luckily no rancid gulls fly in, trying to nick your fish and chips…

Move to the back seats and the comfort levels drop, at least if you’re a regular sized adult. Headroom is a bit of a squeeze (and worse than the C-Class Cabriolet, which at least allows infinite headroom when the roof is folded) but the bigger issue is legroom. Short journeys will be absolutely fine, but anyone approaching six foot will have their legs at a quite acute angle. Kids and the shorter among us should be perfectly comfy, though.

The boot is bigger than the Cabriolet’s, with no need to accommodate a folding roof, and should have more than enough room for a load of bags and slimmish cases. Merc also makes the E-Class and S-Class in coupe form, as well as its plethora of confusing saloon-coupes, should you frequently need a bit more room…