It’s sleek and gorgeous and it will get you plenty of admirers 

EVERY time we get a presentation from the marketing people in Mercedes they tell us that they want to make their cars more attractive for young people.

Mercedes has embraced Twitter and Facebook and do have cars that are competitively priced for young people, but with prices starting at

?¬73,015, I cannot see many under 25s being able to afford this week’s test car, the Mercedes CLS Shooting Brake.

It’s sleek and gorgeous and it will get you plenty of admirers. Although the Troika has now gone, sales figures in Ireland for this car will probably be small. Naturally at that price it’s going to be a niche market with the age profile of buyers here likely to be at least middle aged.

None of the car companies use the phrase

‘station wagon’ anymore. They have created fancy names for what we used to know as station wagons in previous decades.

Now Mercedes are calling their long-roof wagon a

‘Shooting Brake’.

Apparently the term

‘shooting break’ originated in Britain in the 19th century for vehicles which used to carry shooting parties, their equipment and game.

If you have a dog you will probably cover the boot with an old blanket to keep it clean. The boot is carpeted and so clean you could eat your dinner out of the back. I could envisage ads with pictures of rugby fans enjoying a picnic out of the boot of the Shooting Brake on their way to the Aviva or the RDS.

The Shooting Brake is slightly longer than the CSL coupe version, but the roof begins to taper off very quickly. There are no six-footers in our house, but we all had to be very careful getting in as you could give your head a nasty bang. I asked a colleague, who is close to six foot to try it and he really had to crouch down to get in.

Inside the decor is gorgeous and chic with soft beige colours, topped off with a lovely walnut trim. The analogue clock on the dash makes you feel like you are at home. Plenty of room for three adults in the back and the boot is massive plus you get a real spare wheel, not a repair kit. And if you don’t like the carpet effect in the boot you can opt for a cherry wood floor effect. Now that would be very luxurious.

The 250 diesel automatic version I drove provided 204 brake horse power which meant I cruised along in complete luxury. Normally I like the pointed star to guide me, but this time the Mercedes logo was embedded in the bonnet. There are optional extras, but if you need to know the price of all those extras then you probably cannot afford a Shooting Brake this year.

I injured my hip last week and I was left with a nagging pain down my right side. So I really appreciated the heated front seat, which gave my hip and back some relief. Doctors’ fees have risen, but I think going to your local GP is still a cheaper option than buying a Shooting Brake!