Mercedes-Benz C-Class Electric review

In the driver's seat you're well sorted. The seats, wheel and pedals have masses of adjustment so you're bound to get comfortably supported in the end. The sole annoyance is the touch buttons on the steering wheel's spokes, which are far too easy to activate accidentally, changing the display or music track when you turn into a corner.

There are heaps of configuration options for the touchscreen and instrument display. It's generally logical and some important controls reside permanently as screen buttons. But frankly we'd rather they were actual buttons.

In top versions all three screens meld into one 99cm display including one for the passenger with entertainment apps. For the base versions, the three screens are slightly smaller and separated by black bands, but there's still a 'digital trim panel' passenger screen. Question: would you give such a thing a place in your living room? If you wouldn't, you can turn it off, but then it's just an ugly shiny black rectangle.

Does it feel like a Mercedes to last a lifetime?

Such heavily pixelled surroundings will surely date fast. Also, the choices of trim material beyond the screen are questionable. A beautiful stitched soft-touch rail runs from door tops across the dash. There are also stitched phone-charge pads that resemble the leather trays people use for their jewellery on the bedside table overnight. But you don't touch those. Whereas the vents and door grabs are a metallic plastic that feels much cheaper than it looks. Given they're things you adjust and pull on every drive, that's a miss.

How about space for everyone?

Back seat riders get plenty of legroom but foot space under the front seats is cramped, forcing a knees-up position. The solution is to politely ask the people in front to raise their cushions, if they’d be so kind.

The sense of space is boosted by glass roofs for every model, with variable opacity electrochromic glass as you go up the range. Upper versions get Burmester stereos which sound pretty compelling.

The boot is 470 litres, but the small lid makes it a bit of a pain to load. Under the bonnet is another 80 litres of space, enough for an overhead-locker case and your charge cable.