BEV BEGINNER

• Published date: 10 March 2022
• Publication title: Taupo Weekender

The first thing I did when I got the car home was install a car seat. I know, I know, not the most exciting thing to do with a brand new Mercedes-Benz. But with a 9-month-old baby in tow, making the install as easy as possible is a must. Thankfully, the blatantly obvious Isofix made things a breeze, and the car seat was installed within seconds

Next on the list, however, was to load the boot up with all the “stuff” that comes with parenting a young baby. That means the pram, the nappy bag, the food and bottles and portable high chair, the spare clothes, the toys to keep him entertained, the blanket for if it gets cold, the sunshade for if it gets too sunny ...

The bottom line, babies come with a lot of baggage.

Unfortunately, I found the 340-litre boot to be on the small side. By the time we loaded in the pram, there wasn’t space for much else. But there was plenty of room in the cabin, and thankfully we didn’t need to seat anyone else in the back or our passengers would have ended up with a nappy bag sitting on their lap. But I guess the car wasn’t made with young families in mind.

Inside, the cabin is very comfortable. There’s lots of legroom in the front and back, with the front seats even featuring seat extenders for those who have longer legs than the average Joe. The ambient lighting is a fun touch too, with 64 colours to choose from. All in all, the interior detailing made the car feel luxurious.

Now to the fun part – driving! Now, bear in mind I’m new to DRIVEN and haven’t experienced hundreds of cars like the rest of the team. I loved driving this car.

The adaptive cruise control made...