It’s fair to say that when we first added our E-Class Hybrid to the fleet at over £40K before you start adding in any options, we were worried how it might be received, but such is the effi­cacy of the hybrid drivetrain its tax bill is surprisingly small and the car found its audience ready and waiting!

Even a cursory browse of a car tax calculator shows that a 40% taxpayer would have a BIK bill in 2014/15 of less than £2,700 - or £225 a month, which looks remarkable value for money considering what you are getting.

Driving the Hybrid is an absolute pleasure and whilst all our Mercedes diesels are received well, the interesting thing is how the electric drive train seems to smooth out some of the familiar diesel characteristics. The improved torque with the contribution of the electric motor takes some of the effort away from the diesel engine under heavy loads when pulling away or accelerating.

The E-Class is also now getting 55mpg in real-life driving too. So combine the bene­fits of economy and improved refinement with a low tax bill and there are very few downsides for the Hybrid.

For your bespoke quotation on any Mercedes model contact your nearest branch. Who knows, you may be pleasantly surprised; we think so!