Mercedes hasn’t yet published a CO2 emissions figure for the E300 BlueTEC but the 220 and 250 diesels achieve 103 and 109 g/km.

 Further down the line Mercedes is also promising a plug-in hybrid model, and the arrival of the estate version is imminent too.

Mercedes has high hopes for the new C-Class, which is traditionally its strongest selling model. The company expects 65 per cent of sales to go to business, with the economical and tax-friendly C 220 diesel likely to be the most popular engine choice.

The new C-Class range starts at £26,855 for the entry-level C 200 SE with a manual gearbox, while diesel models currently start at £29,365 for a similarly-equipped C220 diesel model.

Find out more about the new Mercedes C-Class

Read about the new C-class estate here

Read the new C-Class review here