The Chrysler 300C is anything but subtle. With its stateside styling and darkened windows, you half expect Tony Soprano to climb out of the driver’s seat.

Subtle it might not be, but with 376lb/ft of torque, it’s certainly effective, sprinting from 30-60mph in just 10.5 seconds. It’s a shame the brakes aren’t as strong as the engine; they take an age to bring the outfit to a halt, although damp conditions won’t have helped.

At 60mph the Chrysler is settled and happy, although on the third and final run through our lane-change manoeuvre it did start to feel a little wayward.

With the seats in place we couldn’t find room for a full load of holiday gear. Other niggles (such as an aerosol rather than a proper spare wheel) further reduced the Chrysler’s practicality score. Fuel economy is a reasonable 34.9mpg on the combined cycle. Modest fuel bills are matched by a modest price tag – it’s £10,000 cheaper than the Mercedes E-Class.