Category: Large Executive 
Price Range: £57,790 to £150,090
Plenty of kit and safety equipment, comfortable, roomy, quality cabin.
Handling a little soft, thirsty, UK will have to wait for smooth-running hybrid.
The 350 CDI is the most practical and frugal but the 600 provides the most entertaining drive.
The 350 CDI is the cheapest to run since it uses Mercedes' Blue Efficiency fuel saving measures. This means the car gets low-rolling resistance tyres, stop/start and better aerodynamics to reduce drag.
All this means you'll get 37.2mpg on the combined cycle with carbon dioxide emissions of 199g/km. Opt for the petrol 350 and you'll get 28.2mpg while emitting 234g/km of CO2, the 500 25.7mpg emitting 258g/km and the 600 returns 19.8mpg while emitting 340g/km of CO2.
The Hybrid will return 35.7mpg and emits 199g/km of CO2 - not far off the Blue Efficiency model, so we hope that Merc hurries up with its introduction to the UK.
Insurance isn't going to be cheap - the pre-facelift range was set between insurance groups 17 and 20 and we don't expect that to change.
All models are in the 35% Benefit-in-Kind bracket for company car tax.
