"Upmarket elegance" and "eyecatching style" has been used by Mercedes-Benz to enhance the appeal of the CLC, a reviewer has stated.

Writing for the Wishaw Press, Mike Torpey has stated that the Mercedes-Benz CLC is a "sleek, muscular model" that is a more than adequate replacement for the C-Class Sports Coupe.

More than 1,100 alterations on different levels have been made on the CLC, with Mr Torpey labelling the visual changes as the most important.

These include an arrow-shaped front and imposing headlamps, which give the vehicle a "luxury appeal".

The vehicle is also quoted as having "one of the slickest manual gearshifts around", while the 1.8-litre engine offers ample pulling power.

Finally, a youthful image is portrayed by the vehicle through the use of tough materials alongside a smart design.

Those motorists looking for something extra could also upgrade to an SE Sport version, which offers 18-inch wheels instead of 16, a sports suspension and a more sensitive steering system.

The Mercedes-Benz CLC includes sporty seats as standard, which offer lumbar support and increased lateral support.

Find out all about the CLC-Class on [mercedes-benz.co.uk]

An actor looking to make an effort to support the environment and make savings in his wallet has traded in his Alfa Romeo Brera for a smart car, reports the Knutsford Guardian.

Geoff Holman was fed up of paying over the odds to fill the tank of his sports car at the pumps and opted to trade it in for a smart car instead.

As well as delivering 70 miles per gallon, the model also turns itself off when at traffic lights to have a positive impact on the environment.

And the actor also explained to the paper that being six foot one was no problem as the vehicle offered a lot of head room, alongside a large amount of storage space.

He said: "I would say somebody six foot six would be comfortable in it. And you can get an astounding amount in the back."

The Knutsford resident added that the vehicle offered far more room than its competitors in its range, while being ideal for him and his wife to use when driving around the local area.

This year witnessed the debut of the second generation smart fortwo, while an electric concept version of the model, the smart fortwo ed, was introduced to the market.

Good things come in smart packages at thesmart.co.uk

Drivers looking for a man about town vehicle have been told that the smart fortwo may be just the vehicle they require.

A review of the smart fortwo for Auto Express by Richard Aucock states that the two-seater has many benefits that will help motorists when dashing around a busy city.

Among the benefits is a "heavy-duty" generator that switches off the vehicle’s engine if it is travelling at a slower speed than 5mph.

Mr Aucock said: "The auto cut-out eliminates tickover vibration from the three-cylinder engine. As soon as you take your foot off the brake the unit restarts."

He added that heavy brakes and steering are added quirks, while an optional power assistance is also useful.

By owning a smart fortwo a driver is also increasing their chances of making fuel savings, while supporting the environment.

It is claimed that the vehicle can achieve 65.7mpg, which is a nine per cent improvement over a standard car, while it gives off low CO2 emissions of 103g/km.

The smart fortwo also recently proved that it is more than comfortable at travelling long distances, when it was used to raise money for charity in a 2,100 mile trip to Italy and back.

Discover all the big benefits of the smart at www.thesmart.co.uk

The Mercedes-Benz C-Class and smart vehicles continue to lead the way in positive sales, according to latest figures.

As Mercedes-Benz Cars has sold over one million vehicles so far this year, it is the smart vehicles that continue to excel the greatest over sales figures from last year.

During November, 10,100 smart branded vehicles were delivered, similar to the 10,300 units sold during the same month last year.

However, a 37 per cent rise has been noted on total sales for 2008 compared with last year, with 123,500 smart vehicles sold this year, a growth on the 90,500 in 2007.

Over the year the Mercedes-Benz C-Class has witnessed a sales boost, with a 16 per cent worldwide sales rise.

Some 408,100 vehicles have been sold this year compared to 350,800 between January and November last year.

Another vehicle to show an improvement in sales is the Mercedes-Benz CLC sports coupe, with the number of units sold almost doubling.

Last November 1,200 units were sold, but in the same month this year, this figure has increases to 2,100.

See the current Mercedes-Benz offersfor this quarter

Over one million Mercedes-Benz Cars have been sold around the world since the start of this year, despite challenging market conditions, it has been revealed.

Some 1,158,200 passenger vehicles have been sold between January and November this year, only a one per cent fall on sales over the same period in 2007.

This is a strong effort throughout Western Europe, the US and Japan as the financial climate in these countries is causing many potential customers to think twice about purchasing a new vehicle.

Also, customers bought 1,034,700 of these vehicles sold, with 84,500 of the Mercedes-Benz, smart, AMG and Maybach fleet being delivered to budding buyers during November.

In terms of the number of vehicles sold in Western Europe, sales for the year look solid at 683,400, with 50,500 of these occurring during November.

One vehicle in the Mercedes-Benz fleet which has achieved impressive sales figures is the Mercedes-Benz C-Class from the 2004 series.

It was recently stated that the model has surpassed the half a million sales mark worldwide, despite only hitting the market in March 2007.

See the current Mercedes-Benz offersfor this quarter

Car enthusiasts weighing up the option of buying a new Mercedes-Benz may be interested in knowing that the price of all vehicles across the range will implement the VAT reduction.

Last week Chancellor Alistair Darling announced that the VAT level would be cut by 2.5 per cent from 17.5 per cent to 15 per cent.

And Mercedes-Benz is to pass this reduction onto customers from today.

The VAT reductions apply to all vehicles in the Mercedes-Benz and smart range, while also to delivery charges, service and official parts.
Visitors to Mercedes-Benz World in Weybridge, Surrey will also benefit from the reduction as the VAT has been cut on all of its services.

These include driving experiences, food and drink and boutique items.

See the current Mercedes-Benz offersfor this quarter