But that’s not all. They’ve used this opportunity to add a new ‘Exclusive’ variant above the ‘Expression’ variant (formerly called Avantgarde). This adds a bit more equipment, which is always welcome. One much-missed item is now on the list – Merc’s brilliant 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster; it’s arguably the best screen in the business and a vast improvement on the old analogue dials, which looked like an afterthought in the E-class. Other bits include the 590W, 13-speaker Burmester Hi-Fi audio system from the E 350d, soft-close doors all around, wireless charging at the rear and even a touchscreen in the rear armrest that controls everything, from the air-con, to the music, to the sun blinds. One bit of equipment we wish was included was a memory function for the powered front seats; yes, the back seats are the focus of this car – and the back seats do, in fact, have a memory function, but we still feel the driver(s) would find more use for it.

Speaking of the drive, not much has changed with this diesel engine. It remains one of the smoother and more refined engines in its class (in fact, it proved slightly quieter compared to the BS-IV version when tested against our equipment) and isn’t rev-happy or racy like the one in the BMW 520d or Jaguar XF. If there is a change, however, it’s that some of that mid-range punch you would get before is now gone. The results show in the performance figures. At 9.24sec, it’s about 0.4sec slower from 0-100kph this time around, and the gap is similar in kickdown acceleration. The 194hp and 400Nm of torque are still all there; it’s just that they come on a little more gently this time. The dynamics also remain unchanged, with a steering that’s surprisingly quick and sharp, but with a suspension that’s soft and wallowy – great at low speeds but a little bouncy as you go faster.