Style and comfort

As with the latest S-Class, there's a more edgy look than the ultra-conservative shape of the outgoing model.

The bulge over the rear wheelarch stretching into the wing is a throwback to the 'Ponton' model of the 1950s, while the four-headlamp front a feature of the last two generations of E-Class has been given a new twist.

The latest model is only fractionally bigger than its predecessor, but provides considerably more passenger space and an almost square, though quite shallow, boot.

Inside, the E draws heavily on the current S-Class, right down to the central control unit that gives access to many functions. Even so, dig deep into the options list and you can easily find yourself surrounded by more than 60 buttons and switches, which is taking things a bit too far.

You won't want for comfort (front seat-mounted massagers and cornering bolsters are among the options), and quality shows a distinct improvement on the current model, with squishy plastics on all but the seat bases and lower door trims where scuffing is most likely.

What the interior of the E-Class lacks is the innovation you might even call it eccentricity of the Jaguar XF, the best of its rivals. You won't find swivelling air vents or anything similarly left-field. The E-Class is sober and sensible: Hugo Boss rather than, say, Paul Smith.