Even with its quirks, the Mercedes-Benz CLS 300d is worth the price

The performance of this elegantly styled CLS is remarkably good

In the ever-crowded and competitive car market, even the tiniest of niches found empty have to be plugged, because if you don’t, someone else will beat you to it. We’ve seen it with the BMW X6 coupé, which invented the SUV-coupé segment and then went on to rule it unchallenged for seven years, before Mercedes could respond with the GLE Coupé.

The downside of the swooping roofline is that it impinges on headroom

A lovely touch to this car is the turbine-styled air vents, which light up in red or blue when you raise or lower the climate control temperature

The small two-litre, four-cylinder diesel engine may seem inadequate in a car at this price point but it was a pleasant surprise. Performance is remarkably good

This car is best enjoyed driven a notch or two down, in a relaxed way, which allows you to soak in the road in total comfort