The Mercedes-Benz C-Class was the ninth most popular new car of 2017, with 45,912 registrations. Rivals BMW and Audi didn’t make the top 10.

However, the C-Class still has a hill to climb in the used car market. On Auto Trader in 2017, there were 24.5 million searches for the C-Class and 11.4m for the Audi A4, but 40.2m for the BMW 3 Series.

It’s a sign of the 3 Series’s long-standing brand appeal because, of the three German rivals, BMW’s approved used scheme offers marginally less value to the customer.

It lacks the key insurance, which Audi and Mercedes both provide, and Mercedes even promises a no-cost service if a car’s service indicator light comes on within three months or 3,000 miles.

It’s probably not enough alone to win over an undecided buyer.

Ultimately, buyers’ decisions may come down to preference for brand and styling, and the offer available at the time.

What Mercedes must do is continue the marketing campaign, because with almost 12,000 miles under its belt, our C-Class is proving its worth as a classy, upmarket family car.