Going out with dignity

THERE’S been a Estate version of the C-Class ever since the model arrived to replace the 190E in 1993, and Mercedes is on to its fifth generation, known internally as the W206, which arrived in 2021.

WHILE the BMW 3 Series is into its seventh generation as a saloon, the Touring estate is only on its sixth incarnation, because a wagon version of the original 3 Series was never produced. The current

MERCEDES-BENZ CLA

UPMARKET estate cars have always been popular. In recent years they have become the go-to alternative to the SUV, often delivering more usable space, as well as a more sophisticated and sporty drive.

You only need to peruse the first-gen AMG A45’s specs to see why it lured so many hot hatch buyers away from segment leaders like the Audi RS3 and BMW M135i. This was Merc’s first crack at a mega-hatc

LIFE is pretty difficult for premium car brands such as Audi these days. Gone is the era of gentle evolution, and instead constant, relentless innovation is required, largely around the goal of profit