First View: new M-B CLS

A professional person in the 45-55 age group might well be able to afford a Mercedes-Benz, writes Brian Byrne. But the E-Class could be too conservative, the S-Class too top banker. And besides, our professional is in his prime, on the move, ahead of the field.

The CLS is an option which has already attracted a good number of them since it was launched in 2004. And now there's a new one for the new generation of such go-goers to consider.

The car was a style icon from the off. And it was the style that sold two out of every three of them in Europe, and by extension in Ireland. It changed the perception of the three-pointed star brand's saloon offerings.

The new one, due in Ireland next spring, takes that shift a notch further. This time with a much edgier look than the current car, though retaining the four-door coupe shape almost exactly. A stronger front end, sultry rear, and newly-pumped muscular shaping to the profile argue a more confident attitude in these difficult times. That's the kind of attitude we need. If Brian Cowen was driving one of these instead of being shuffled around in an S-Class, he'd get more respect.

They've made the interior fittings and accessories more suited to this attitudinal shift too. More traditionally shaped than the oval themes of the outgoing car. More shoulder room too, even though the outside dimensions remain the same.

Essentially there will be two engines when the car comes to Ireland, beginning with the 350 CDI 3.0 V6 which is substantially more efficient than the V6 diesel in the current car. In our CO2 band system, it goes from F to D. But the real new powertrain deal will be the availability of the 2.2 four 250 CDI, which will offer a B Band entry and attract 75 percent of Irish sales.

I've just spent a couple of days putting the 350 CDI through its paces in the hills around Florence. A bit of sun, some nicely twisting roads, magnificent views of God's own countryside. It was tough to find anything even approaching the negative.

Except that, at somewhere around €70,000 to start when it arrives, it is always going to be outside my bank balance. But there are an estimated 100 of those confident professionals who will pay for the keys of the new car next year, and with any economic luck a few more than that in 2012.

In Tuscany, and the above described conditions, driving the new generation CLS was never going to be anything but a good experience. It is nicely sized, as refined as you could wish, and the new 8-speed autobox a creamy and instant responder to either loud pedal or steering wheel manual buttons.

It's a tough life when you have to fly home from it. But the upside is I'll get a more realistic opportunity when it gets here next year. On the rapid approach of an Irish winter, that's something to look forward to.