THE three-pointed star on the bonnet says it all. Safety, comfort and at last some style to make it stand out from the crowd. The interior is nicely presented and finished, and extremely well-equipped - but then again it should, since this is basically a two-door C-class with an HK Monaro roofline. The V6 is a dream, handling likewise but older Mercedes owners will notice the cost-cutting in the little things, like the occasional flimsy dashboard bits.

But overall, very classy.