Good value for money and a more individual alternative to the usual load luggers.

What’s new?

The boot. This is the first time we’ve sampled the estate version of the 300C in right-hand-drive form.

What’s it like?

Big, bold, a little brash. And if you get one in black, a little bit like a hearse. Overall, it’s a striking car, and we prefer the styling to the saloon’s.

Inside there’s loads of kit, including standard heated leather electrically adjustable seats, decent plastics, and many cupholders. The boot holds 603 litres of room seats up, and 1602 litres seats down.

The 3.0-litre V6 turbodiesel engine is borrowed from Mercedes, and it’s nicely smooth and very appropriate for the car, especially as it’s mated to a (standard) smooth-shifting five-speed auto ’box.

The handling’s okay rather than brilliant, and the ride is too harsh, the car failing to deal with poor road surfaces. But we’ll forgive it – this is a surprisingly charming car.

Should I get one?

If you like the styling and have somewhere appropriate to park this 5.0m-long beast, yes. At £27,275 it’s good value for money, makes a more individual alternative to the usual load luggers, and offers interior space from the class above.

Rory Lumsdon

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