STARLIGHT EXPRESS

Glitzy electric Mercedes CLA aims to railroad the updated Tesla and upmarket MG. JAMES DISDALE jumps aboard

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Just two weeks ago in these pages, deputy road tester Richard Lane celebrated a half century of the BMW 3 Series, the once undisputed king of the compact executive class. But while he sang the praises of the sharp-suited and quick-witted saloon that almost single-handedly hooked British buyers on their premium brand habit, he sounded an alarm that time could be up for this evergreen class leader, as the future of the 3 Series now hangs in the balance.

Why? The compact exec has always been the first choice of company car drivers looking to cut a dash, but the tax-slashing benefits of going electric mean that corporate tastes have changed. Three still remains the magic number, but for BMW now read Tesla.

The Model 3 has become the user-chooser's first choice, its blend of tech, range, fast charging and rock-bottom tax bills making it a perennial sales chart fixture since it arrived here in 2018. Moreover, it has been joined in the past year or so by a growing number of upstart EV rivals keen to take a slice of this profitable pie.

One of the latest to land is the MG IM5, which actually isn't an MG at all. (You will search in vain for any sign of an octagonal Morris Garages logo.) Instead, it's a rebadged Intelligence in Motion L6, a slick executive saloon that's the product of a joint venture with MG owner SAIC. No matter what it's called, it's hard to ignore the car's sleek lines, massive 100kWh battery, 441-mile range and £44,995 price, plus a tech spec that runs to four-wheel steer and 800V architecture.