Little comparison: C300 vs 320d vs S60 T5

[frankphuket]

So I had a little time this past weekend and wanted to have a look at the Benz C300 Bluetec Hybrid....and then why not make a little test drive of its competitors.

Those test drives just lasted 10-15 minutes, so are completely "shallow" and very sujective and influenced by several factors which have not exactly something to do with the cars....which I will explain.

What did I test:

Mercedes Benz C300 Bluetec Hybrid AMG Dynamics version (it's a mouthful, so C300 for short), Price: 3,090,000

Volvo S60 T5 Polestar upgrade (Yeah, i know it is a petrol, but hey for what it is worth), Price: 2,490,000

BMW 320d, Price: 2,890,000

My daily driver is: VW GOLF GTI

EXTERIOR:

Benz C300

I really like it, also from front it is hard to reckognize which model line you are looking at, could also be a E class.....well, I have never been much of a Benz fan at least not in my youth, but now they came a long way and design wise I find them rather interesting.

The lines overall are nice and the back looks powerful as well. In the AMG trim you get the sportier front grill, a little lower suspension (I think) and nice alloys.

9/10

Volvo S60 T5

New front improved the cars look, always liked the back, nice alloys. Overall nice package I think.

8/10

BMW 320d

Well, we have seen plenty, so maybe the 'cool' new factor is gone, but overall being a BMW guy before I am not really that impressed with their latest designs. It was quite a stock 320d too, so nothing much to rave about.

7/10

INTERIOR:

Benz C300

Ok....now that's something else. Must admit in does look like a class above the others. Nice designs, classy looks and nice materials and plenty of gimmicks. Which I must admit threw me off a little (too old fashioned I guess). No gear lever where it supposed to be in middle, but rather in the steering wheel area, rather small I felt and too many levers behind the wheel. Start push button, hand brake button....puuh. Took me a while.

Wasn't crazy about the seats, took me long to get them where i wanted, as i felt the foot rest was too near and i had to move the seat well back and therefore the steering wheel too (might be only me, too long legs, not long enough arms syndrome).

Felt those seats were a tad short as standard.

A litle hard to judge, as too many things to get used to first....but I guess it is just a matter of exactly that. In terms of tech seems to be on another level...but as said this brings with it some niggles to overcome.

8.5/10

Volvo S60 T5

Great seats, but similar issue with foot rest being too near, but as manual all a bit easier to handle quickly. Overall a nice place to be, good quality materials, simple layout (which I like, no need to get fancy....I want to drive the damn thing....not read an encyclopia about how to make the air-con work).

Felt really comfy overall, light and bright, but less tech and 'bells & whistles'.

8/10

BMW 320d

Luckily a black interior, as I can't stand BMW bland beige anymore. Must say they did improve a bit and it is a little less bland now. Seats nice, better than Benz, not as comfy as Volvo. Felt less issues with foot rest, deeper foot area I think.

All works well, quite comfy and easy to digest.

7.5/10

ENGINES

C300

Oh yeah, nice one indeed. A little comment before: The Benz sales girl didn't stop the entire time talking about all the tech and gizmos, etc., plus the air con was on full blast as the car was very hot. This didn't help to get a good idea about engine noise and how the diesel interact with the electric motor....sorry, can't comment much on that.

Best to descrive it as seamless and immediate power. From the stand still it has very accessible strong power and every input at any speed (could go up only till about 130) was greated with lots of torque and good pick up. compared to my little GTI this was quite nice, as the GTI needs to be 'in da zone' to get really moving...and then it does. The C300 is always in the zone. Was definitley pleasantly surprised. Can't comment too much on engine noise, but yep you know it is a diesel.

10/10

Volvo S60 T5

not too fair, as it is a petrol compared to 2 strong diesel, but that's what it is.

Definitely not as strong from stand still, needs more revs and pick up and than as well ain't feeling that fast. It supposingly has 245 hp, so on par with my remapped GTI, but the GTI feels a much stronger kick in the back. With the Volvo you have a nice long push. It is all very subtle, very soothing. It has power, but you don't feel it that strong. More relaxing feel. 8 speed auto worked well.

7.5/10

BMW 320d

Tried and tested since many years, this engine is good. Good push, good torque. It's a diesel and you hear it. Sales staff was less chatty and therefore I can't really comment if it is not as noisy as the Benz. Don't feel that it was as strong as the C300, I am sure the electric helps nicely to get the immediate shove.

8.5/10

THE RIDE/HANDLING

C300

Hmmh, mixed bag for me. Again, the constant chatty staff, new car with many gimmicks, made it hard to settle down and really get a good feeling of it.

I felt however from the word go..."Oops" that is rather harsh. Was not expecting it. Benz = Comfy. Had it in comfort mode and than in Sport mode, but felt both were still hard and I felt also a bit unsettled. Maybe the AMG version!?

A felt it was harsher than my GTI (can it be....?)

Steering was very direct, which was nice, however felt a little disconnected with the road.

With so much going on: Chatty girl, different ride modes...it was just a bit unsettled overall.

The handling itself felt good though, flat thru some few corners and securing.

Hard to judge: 7/10

Volvo S60 T5

Nice, smooth, soothing after the Benz. Really comfy, more so than my GTI for sure. Still it coped well with the couple of corners in the test drive. Steering feel is ok, not great, but communicative enough. You can easily see yourself doing many miles in this....

8.5/10

BMW 320d

Well sorted ride, sporty without being harsh or unsettled. Well balanced. Ride maybe quite similar to my GTI. Handling very nice, as the steering feel is sure the Best out of the 3 and also better than my GTI. You feel the road, connected, the way it should be.

9.5/10

A few other random things:

C300

not much discounts to be had.

The Burmester sound system only comes with the AMG package

Color choices of the non-AMG car are restricted, especially only beige or grey interior.... .

3 years warranty, no free service

Volvo S60 T5

was offered around 100K discount

5 years service free/ 3 years warranty

BMW 320d

was offered around 100K discount

5 years service free/2 years warranty

There was a 328i in the garage, just arrived and was being prepared for show. With M sport package really quite nice looking. Wonder how this would fare against the 320d in terms of power? Anybody?

Puuuh, this was some rumbling...any feedback or experience with any of those 3 are welcome.

Again, 10 minutes test in traffic, etc doesn't make exactly for a real world experience....

[jaapfries]

@FrankPhuket: Really well put-together report, hitting most of the more relevant aspects of these cars. Thanks for your great effort !

[keemapoot]

Great review, we need more like this. I agree the C class blue tech hybrid is the best in class, and my wife has been wanting one. I also agree that Benz has seemingly been closing the gap between the C class and the E class, so that unless you need the larger car, there is not as much appearance wise difference now, so why pay the extra money if you don't need the bigger car.

Another thing I would cite is that if you were buying slightly used instead of new, the Volvo or Bimmer would be a better value because of the way the Benz holds its value.

[CTO]

Interesting the free services - never shopped for a high end car but of the lower ones we've bought, it's hard to get a discount and free anything other than a floor mat. I suspect a softening market?

I've had a Volvo S60, far older version as I bought it second hand. VERY nice ride, as good as older S Class Benz that I mate has and I drive at times.

BMW - never liked them though a mate in Bangkok's wife bought one and they swear by it.

[frankphuket]

@FrankPhuket: Really well put-together report, hitting most of the more relevant aspects of these cars. Thanks for your great effort !

Thanks, just love cars....to the dismay of my wifey! Always thinking what's next on the Xmas list!!! Besides some issues with the GTI in the beginning it is a hard act to follow, as it combines pretty much practicality of every day driving with good comfort and a really strong engine. Seats are great and interior is high quality and practical, yet also slightly on the bland side!

Still wish it would have a 'stick' though....therefore my thoughts tour around a Subaru WRX with stick shifter (to replace my Mini GP manual, to have a bit more space, although not sure if i can ever sell it, Thais mostly don't get that special 2 seater model, nor do they get a manuel geared car much)...but not sure I can live with/in the interior!

Plus Motorimage Subaru in Thailand does not exactly shout 'great service' from what i heard.

Comments and feedback Welcome.

[frankphuket]

Interesting the free services - never shopped for a high end car but of the lower ones we've bought, it's hard to get a discount and free anything other than a floor mat. I suspect a softening market?

I've had a Volvo S60, far older version as I bought it second hand. VERY nice ride, as good as older S Class Benz that I mate has and I drive at times.

BMW - never liked them though a mate in Bangkok's wife bought one and they swear by it.

BMW and especially Volvo had to do something in the Thai market to convince buyers as their brand name around 10 years ago was on the decline and reliability issues, high repair costs, etc did estrange buyers. Therefore the free service to give 'peace of mind' for 5 years. I think it is very good and would wish that Benz would also jump on that, but as their sales (i suppose) are still good and their brand recognition in Thailand top, they just don't need to throw in so much....

By the way, I also think Benz Thailand website wins over the others by a long way. Nearly same as in Europe, whereas the Volvo website (new one) is a disaster as you don't have English version, nor are there prices to be found anywhere.

Their old website was not better either. Shame on you...., is it so hard to make an easy to navigate website with all info one wants: Pictures, Specs, Prices....and save on the MumboJumbo PR write up, not going to read it anyway.

[keemapoot]

Interesting the free services - never shopped for a high end car but of the lower ones we've bought, it's hard to get a discount and free anything other than a floor mat. I suspect a softening market?

I've had a Volvo S60, far older version as I bought it second hand. VERY nice ride, as good as older S Class Benz that I mate has and I drive at times.

BMW - never liked them though a mate in Bangkok's wife bought one and they swear by it.

BMW and especially Volvo had to do something in the Thai market to convince buyers as their brand name around 10 years ago was on the decline and reliability issues, high repair costs, etc did estrange buyers. Therefore the free service to give 'peace of mind' for 5 years. I think it is very good and would wish that Benz would also jump on that, but as their sales (i suppose) are still good and their brand recognition in Thailand top, they just don't need to throw in so much....

By the way, I also think Benz Thailand website wins over the others by a long way. Nearly same as in Europe, whereas the Volvo website (new one) is a disaster as you don't have English version, nor are there prices to be found anywhere.

Their old website was not better either. Shame on you...., is it so hard to make an easy to navigate website with all info one wants: Pictures, Specs, Prices....and save on the MumboJumbo PR write up, not going to read it anyway.

It's very clear the picture among Benz, BMW and Volvo if you just go online to taladrod or thaicar or one2car and compare like models of C Class, 3 series and S60, and especially in the E class as against 5 series and S80. Really Benz is still miles ahead in terms of desirability and resale value in Thailand.

[chonburimaster]

Interesting comparison with C300.

http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/mercedes/c-class/89404/mercedes-c300-bluetec-hybrid-vs-lexus-is-300h

[keemapoot]

Interesting comparison with C300.

http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/mercedes/c-class/89404/mercedes-c300-bluetec-hybrid-vs-lexus-is-300h

That is an interesting and not altogether surprising review that ranks the Lexus hybrid over the bluetec, assuming the premium version of the IS300h, which is priced 3.5 million in Thailand. So, the slight edge in Thailand still has to go to the Merc, based on 500k less selling price due to local assembly, and due to brand value.

Edited May 27, 2015 by keemapoot

[tomaway]

Thanks for sharing your impressions on these 3 cars.

The new C class is definitely the sexiest in the segment right now especially with the AMG package.

I am fan of BMW since years but the new generation of Benz is really impressive.

A month ago or so, I had a look at the new C Class Coupe in Central Festival and it took me few minutes before I can walk away.

Or maybe was it the price tag that remind me the hard truth of Car market in the Kingdom....

As I am a second had buyer, I can see the value of the Benz holding strong over the year but, the choice of engines with more than 200 Bhp is by far greater than Bmw.

You can only find a few 328 on the market when you have hundreds of C250 for the same price.

Volvo is also great on second hand market, a good choice of V40 T5 , just 2 years old, for 1.2 M Thb... most probably my next car!

BTW, may I ask you where you can have the maintenance done on your VW in Phuket?

[ChesneyHawkes]

Thanks for sharing your impressions on these 3 cars.

The new C class is definitely the sexiest in the segment right now especially with the AMG package.

I am fan of BMW since years but the new generation of Benz is really impressive.

A month ago or so, I had a look at the new C Class Coupe in Central Festival and it took me few minutes before I can walk away.

Or maybe was it the price tag that remind me the hard truth of Car market in the Kingdom....

As I am a second had buyer, I can see the value of the Benz holding strong over the year but, the choice of engines with more than 200 Bhp is by far greater than Bmw.

You can only find a few 328 on the market when you have hundreds of C250 for the same price.

Volvo is also great on second hand market, a good choice of V40 T5 , just 2 years old, for 1.2 M Thb... most probably my next car!

BTW, may I ask you where you can have the maintenance done on your VW in Phuket?

Just read this for the first time.

Will be testing the C coupé and C saloon next week. A couple of points based on what's available right now. Saloon has moved to the C350 designation, with the AMG coming in at 3.34m baht.

All BMWs come with a 5 year unlimited mileage warranty, plus 5 years free maintenance and servicing up to 100k km. A better comparison with the Mercs would be the 330e PHEV, but you may consider a plug in a bit of a hassle.

[tomaway]

I am a little bit surprised that Benz choose diesel engine to go with electric... It Is definitely a more fragile technology (quality of diesel has to be top notch) and less clean than benzine.

In my home country, 80% of the new cars sold are diesel, not because people prefer it but just because it is cheaper at the gas station.

Before diesel engine was more reliables d/t basic technology and had much more torque than benzine cars.

The situation has change a lot with the downsizing of benzine engine and also the use of turbo.

I even wonder why diesel is still in use in modern car... It should be kept for tractors and eating systems....

Ps: yes... I am a bit a Benzine fanatic hehe

[dominique355]

I am with you Tomaway. I just sold me S300 Hybrid and got the S500e.

The S300 Hybrid had a 2.2 l Diesel. Kind of rough and loud. Not what you expect from an S Class.

The S500e has a 3 l V6 gasoline. Also Hybrid but much smoother and refined. Total power an impressive 450 HP

And the price more or less the same as the previous S300 Hybrid.

[frankphuket]

Thanks for sharing your impressions on these 3 cars.

The new C class is definitely the sexiest in the segment right now especially with the AMG package.

I am fan of BMW since years but the new generation of Benz is really impressive.

A month ago or so, I had a look at the new C Class Coupe in Central Festival and it took me few minutes before I can walk away.

Or maybe was it the price tag that remind me the hard truth of Car market in the Kingdom....

As I am a second had buyer, I can see the value of the Benz holding strong over the year but, the choice of engines with more than 200 Bhp is by far greater than Bmw.

You can only find a few 328 on the market when you have hundreds of C250 for the same price.

Volvo is also great on second hand market, a good choice of V40 T5 , just 2 years old, for 1.2 M Thb... most probably my next car!

BTW, may I ask you where you can have the maintenance done on your VW in Phuket?

Hi, i service my GTI and MINI GP in a local garage opposite the "Suan Luang" Park. Kachang Garage, owner Khun Gai is very knowledgable and a good guy.

Not quite sure about the latest idea of Benz to only sell E cars, with the C350, it is plug in only.....not suitable for everybody. Also strange that they have changed so quickly from the diesel hybrid....

[ardokano]

Thanks for sharing your impressions on these 3 cars.

The new C class is definitely the sexiest in the segment right now especially with the AMG package.

I am fan of BMW since years but the new generation of Benz is really impressive.

A month ago or so, I had a look at the new C Class Coupe in Central Festival and it took me few minutes before I can walk away.

Or maybe was it the price tag that remind me the hard truth of Car market in the Kingdom....

As I am a second had buyer, I can see the value of the Benz holding strong over the year but, the choice of engines with more than 200 Bhp is by far greater than Bmw.

You can only find a few 328 on the market when you have hundreds of C250 for the same price.

Volvo is also great on second hand market, a good choice of V40 T5 , just 2 years old, for 1.2 M Thb... most probably my next car!

BTW, may I ask you where you can have the maintenance done on your VW in Phuket?

Just read this for the first time.

Will be testing the C coupé and C saloon next week. A couple of points based on what's available right now. Saloon has moved to the C350 designation, with the AMG coming in at 3.34m baht.

All BMWs come with a 5 year unlimited mileage warranty, plus 5 years free maintenance and servicing up to 100k km. A better comparison with the Mercs would be the 330e PHEV, but you may consider a plug in a bit of a hassle.

In dealer benz tell me 3 year unlimited mileage warranty.. if want exta 2 yaer its be cost 80 000. Ask about CLA250.

maybe C little upper.. Dono

[ChesneyHawkes]

Thanks for sharing your impressions on these 3 cars.

The new C class is definitely the sexiest in the segment right now especially with the AMG package.

I am fan of BMW since years but the new generation of Benz is really impressive.

A month ago or so, I had a look at the new C Class Coupe in Central Festival and it took me few minutes before I can walk away.

Or maybe was it the price tag that remind me the hard truth of Car market in the Kingdom....

As I am a second had buyer, I can see the value of the Benz holding strong over the year but, the choice of engines with more than 200 Bhp is by far greater than Bmw.

You can only find a few 328 on the market when you have hundreds of C250 for the same price.

Volvo is also great on second hand market, a good choice of V40 T5 , just 2 years old, for 1.2 M Thb... most probably my next car!

BTW, may I ask you where you can have the maintenance done on your VW in Phuket?

Just read this for the first time.

Will be testing the C coupé and C saloon next week. A couple of points based on what's available right now. Saloon has moved to the C350 designation, with the AMG coming in at 3.34m baht.

All BMWs come with a 5 year unlimited mileage warranty, plus 5 years free maintenance and servicing up to 100k km. A better comparison with the Mercs would be the 330e PHEV, but you may consider a plug in a bit of a hassle.

In dealer benz tell me 3 year unlimited mileage warranty.. if want exta 2 yaer its be cost 80 000. Ask about CLA250.

maybe C little upper.. Dono

But that's still only the warranty. No maintenance and servicing included. When I asked the rep all she said was MB don't break down. I'm not here to qualify that statement but even the best products can fail from time to time and I would like to know what they'd do if that happened.

[Jitar]

The owner pays for the services for MB. If you can afford the prices for a BMW or MB, one or two services per year and maybe a set of brake pads should not be a problem.

Both BM and MB warranty cover (most) parts that fail due to manufacturing defects. If you break it with abuse, you will pay for it.

[Pdaz]

Great review Frank. Mirrored many of my own thoughts. I've been into BMW my whole life and figured I'd never be old enough for a Benz. But to be honest their current line up (in Thaland at least) is streets ahead of BMW in external looks, power and interior quality. I still think BMW has the edge in balance and driver 'feel' In other markets where genuine M cars are a more resonable price or regular models are available with larger displacment engines and better choice of options I'd probably still choose a BM.

Here I had been awaiting the release of the M2, to see if the price would be more competative. Or to see if the new C450 AMG coupe was going to be available - I really would prefer a 6 cylinder motor to the current crop of 4 bangers.

M2 at 5.9 was beyond my budget and the Merc seems only to be out in C300 guise. The AMG C63s is available at 9.9m - so also beyond my budget. I really enjoyed the C300 test drive. My sales guy wasn't so chatty Great interior ( a bit gadgety as you say ) and good control in sport mode. But I still felt it was more suited to a woman or a middle aged businessman.. Funny as I'm 50 and beyond middle age I guess.

Anyhow I couldn't see myself in any of the underpowered 3 series available here ( even less so with a slushbox )

So bit the bullet and have ordered an A45 AMG facelift model. 381bhp/475Nm 7 speed DSG with locking front diff/adaptive suspension package....and 6 Months to wait. I have been looking for a new car for over a year and considered many options from Subaru to Porsche and I'm still surprised that Merc seems to offer the best combination of power, comfort, prestige and price.. Hopefully I'm not disapointed.

[frankphuket]

Great review Frank. Mirrored many of my own thoughts. I've been into BMW my whole life and figured I'd never be old enough for a Benz. But to be honest their current line up (in Thaland at least) is streets ahead of BMW in external looks, power and interior quality. I still think BMW has the edge in balance and driver 'feel' In other markets where genuine M cars are a more resonable price or regular models are available with larger displacment engines and better choice of options I'd probably still choose a BM.

Here I had been awaiting the release of the M2, to see if the price would be more competative. Or to see if the new C450 AMG coupe was going to be available - I really would prefer a 6 cylinder motor to the current crop of 4 bangers.

M2 at 5.9 was beyond my budget and the Merc seems only to be out in C300 guise. The AMG C63s is available at 9.9m - so also beyond my budget. I really enjoyed the C300 test drive. My sales guy wasn't so chatty Great interior ( a bit gadgety as you say ) and good control in sport mode. But I still felt it was more suited to a woman or a middle aged businessman.. Funny as I'm 50 and beyond middle age I guess.

Anyhow I couldn't see myself in any of the underpowered 3 series available here ( even less so with a slushbox )

So bit the bullet and have ordered an A45 AMG facelift model. 381bhp/475Nm 7 speed DSG with locking front diff/adaptive suspension package....and 6 Months to wait. I have been looking for a new car for over a year and considered many options from Subaru to Porsche and I'm still surprised that Merc seems to offer the best combination of power, comfort, prestige and price.. Hopefully I'm not disapointed.

Yep, it ain't easy here to fulfill our motoring desires. Completely agree with Benz vs BMW. Never thought I would say that in my life, but the current Benz line up looks better, sportier than the BMW and interiors are even further apart.

Wow, an A45 must be quite a riot...just hope it won't be too hard for you....from what i read it ain't the softest and road here are not German Autobahn smooth.

Subaru i always thought of...but never could get over the dated interior or a bit "old tech".

That's why i am still sticking to my Golf GTI so far....lack of better options available. Enough oomph for roads here, quite decent interior and quite versatile if not a 'little boring'....

Probably not your cup of tea, but for the price quite decent. Audi TTS, the new one comes with quattro as standard i think. Dealership only in Bkk.

[ChesneyHawkes]

Great review Frank. Mirrored many of my own thoughts. I've been into BMW my whole life and figured I'd never be old enough for a Benz. But to be honest their current line up (in Thaland at least) is streets ahead of BMW in external looks, power and interior quality. I still think BMW has the edge in balance and driver 'feel' In other markets where genuine M cars are a more resonable price or regular models are available with larger displacment engines and better choice of options I'd probably still choose a BM.

Here I had been awaiting the release of the M2, to see if the price would be more competative. Or to see if the new C450 AMG coupe was going to be available - I really would prefer a 6 cylinder motor to the current crop of 4 bangers.

M2 at 5.9 was beyond my budget and the Merc seems only to be out in C300 guise. The AMG C63s is available at 9.9m - so also beyond my budget. I really enjoyed the C300 test drive. My sales guy wasn't so chatty Great interior ( a bit gadgety as you say ) and good control in sport mode. But I still felt it was more suited to a woman or a middle aged businessman.. Funny as I'm 50 and beyond middle age I guess.

Anyhow I couldn't see myself in any of the underpowered 3 series available here ( even less so with a slushbox )

So bit the bullet and have ordered an A45 AMG facelift model. 381bhp/475Nm 7 speed DSG with locking front diff/adaptive suspension package....and 6 Months to wait. I have been looking for a new car for over a year and considered many options from Subaru to Porsche and I'm still surprised that Merc seems to offer the best combination of power, comfort, prestige and price.. Hopefully I'm not disapointed.

Yep, it ain't easy here to fulfill our motoring desires. Completely agree with Benz vs BMW. Never thought I would say that in my life, but the current Benz line up looks better, sportier than the BMW and interiors are even further apart.

Wow, an A45 must be quite a riot...just hope it won't be too hard for you....from what i read it ain't the softest and road here are not German Autobahn smooth.

Subaru i always thought of...but never could get over the dated interior or a bit "old tech".

That's why i am still sticking to my Golf GTI so far....lack of better options available. Enough oomph for roads here, quite decent interior and quite versatile if not a 'little boring'....

Probably not your cup of tea, but for the price quite decent. Audi TTS, the new one comes with quattro as standard i think. Dealership only in Bkk.

Wouldn't bother with Audi in Thailand. Would be my first choice of the German brands but the monopoly held by the Thai family that owns the rights means rubbish service and support. Maybe some hope with VW opening up some production here.

[Pdaz]

My current car is an Audi TT. Chipped and modified to around 300hp. I'd love to have another Audi but the latest TTS is over 5m and a second hand TT-RS ( which I'd prefer is still well over 3mil ) The 3rd generation TT-RS hasn't been released here yet but expect it will be 6-7mil so not a realistic choice.

Don't suppose the RS3 will make it here either. I agree that the main Audi dealer is hopeless but I have had great service from an independent Audi/VW garage in BKK so wouldn't worry about buying another.

The new facelift A45 now has active suspension and adjustable dampers which (according to the motoring press) has solved the hard ride that they previously moaned about. I've always had very firmly suspended cars ( mostly with aftermarket Bilsteins ) so don't expect to find the ride harsh.

There have been quite a few improvements to the facelift model and it comes quite well spec'd in Thailand. Night pack, aero pack and lots of gadgets included. I've optioned AMG/recaro seats, switchable performance exhaust and a locking diff. It seems very good value.

Chose "Mountain Grey" with 19" matt alloys and the gloss black trim "night package" similar to this UK car.