That great first impression – just sitting in the car in the showroom – will sell a lot of cars. But it’s when you actually go to pull away that you encounter the first problem. Where is the handbrake? Manufacturers are increasingly moving towards electronic devices, so presumably it’s a button, but where is it?

Thankfully I was with a colleague who had already been through this part of the A Class experience, and had shown me. Towards the door, to the right, below the steering wheel. A pull-off, push-on handle (so the opposite motion to normal, too). It’s not easy to reach, and quickly becomes useless when driving – it’s just too far out of the way, and there’s a whole pull-push faff each time you use it

Next is the ride. Unfortunately the ride height is so low that anyone over a certain age or that is pregnant would really struggle to be able to get in and out of the car safely. The suspension is so harsh that you can literally feel every painted line and crack, and potholes feel jarringly unhealthy. The handling does, to a degree, make up for it – the grip and tight pull through corners is impressive, but you’ll rarely be able to use it for fear of complaints from your passengers.