FEW vehicles can wow me within minutes these days, but I have just discovered a car that ticks all the right boxes.

It's the beautifully crafted, elegant and sophisticated Mercedes S 300 and it packs a mighty punch.

Powered by a 2.1-litre four-cylinder diesel engine and a 27bhp electric motor, the hybrid model is an incredible drive - it really seems to glide along the road and for such a large vehicle (long-wheel-base only) it is wonderfully agile with light but very direct steering.

The S 300 is guaranteed to turn heads wherever it passes thanks to its dynamic styling, green tinted glass, twin tailpipes, LED lighting front and rear, electric panoramic sunroof and 19-inch alloys. But this car also boasted AMG styling which really enhances the sporty appeal of the saloon.

The interior is richly equipped with a plethora of technology to be explored and the more you delve into the features and creature comforts the more you discover.

For example, the seats which can be heated or cooled, can be adjusted every which way to find the ideal position. These settings can then be stored in the memory system. Then there are massage options and numerous ambient lighting shades to create the ideal environment.

There is a refrigerated compartment, heated steering wheel, head-up display, a surround sound system for back seat passengers (who also benefit from the seat heating and massaging options), a superb multimedia system with connectivity to all modern devices and a whole lot more besides.

Now this all sounds a little too good to be true and obviously there has to be a down side to the car. And there is - it costs a whopping £103,185 (including the £31,000 of options) and that's a heavy price to pay.

However, for that outlay you do get a car boasting sublime comfort which is the ultimate in luxury and the performance isn't bad either.

It can sprint to 62mph from a standing start in 7.6 seconds and tops out at an electronically-limited 155mph. But the figure that really grabs the headlines is fuel efficiency because according to official stats the S 300 Hybrid can deliver 61.4mpg on a combined run.

During my week-long test I clocked up more than 500 miles and the average I was seeing at the end was just above 53mpg which is still very impressive.

Acceleration through the seven-speed automatic transmission is beautifully smooth and you can change gear manually via steering wheel mounted paddles if you want. The road-holding is excellent meaning tight bends can be attacked with confidence and there is minimal road, engine or wind noise to speak of.

Another notable feature is how comfortable the vehicle is. Somehow the car's suspension seems to iron out all the road's creases and that means executive owners can work in comfort in the back of the car without the fear of being thrown around by a string of potholes.

Storage options are very thorough and the boot - with its capacity of 510 litres - can be opened or closed automatically.

As one would expect, Mercedes has kitted out the car with a comprehensive array of safety specifications, including blind spot assist, active lane-keeping assist, night view assist, collision prevention assist, crosswind assist, numerous airbags and a list that goes on and on.