That engine location also means that in the event of an accident passengers rise above the wreckage instead of finding themselves with

That engine location also means that, in the event of an accident, passengers rise above the wreckage instead of finding themselves with an internal combustion engine on their laps. This is now one of the safest small cars in the world, but it still looks exciting and futuristic - like a prop from Blade Runner.One unfortunate side effect of the new suspension is a firm ride; if you travel in the rear you tend to bounce around as if you're in the back of a National Express coach. And while we're at it, Mercedes promotes the A-Class as having "Big car quality in a small car" - unfortunately the "big car" in question isn't a Mercedes, it's more of a Nissan Primera. Though I don't doubt its mechanical integrity, quality is not what it should be inside the A-Class.

You sit up high, so visibility is great, and all the controls are light without being flimsy. It'll cruise without stress at 90mph and, in an effort to sort out that elk problem, Mercedes has loaded it up with more acronyms than a Harley Street quack It boasts ABS, BAS, ASR and something called ESP Even the nodding dog gets an airbag. And even a hurricane, or Geoff Capes with a bunch of elks cheering from the sidelines, couldn't turn it over. Amazingly, at 3.57 metres long, the A-Class is shorter than a Ford Ka, but it seats five people in reasonable comfort due to the fact that its engine is located under the floor.Most new cars are easy to drive, but the A-Class is, I think, one of the easiest. But now it has, and this lower, stockier estate-come-saloon-come-funky-van-come-MPV-come-whatever is a pretty fine car. When a Swedish car magazine tested the original version of the A-Class by flinging a dummy elk at it, humiliatingly it rolled over and cost Mercedes tens of millions of pounds to rectify the fault. I counted no fewer than 43 little, red "Risk of Injury" triangles in one of its eight (count 'em) instruction booklets - apparently even the floor mats can do you a mischief if you're not careful Mercedes is, of course, quite right to be jittery. ou need only flick through the handbook for its new A-Class to realise that Mercedes is more than a little sensitive about safety.

The bulb is powered by a length of orange flex, woven in on itself to form a shadeNot available to buy`Stealing Beauty' is at the ICA, the Mall, London SW1, from 3 April- 23 May. The La Lu Cable Light is inspired by baskets woven in Africa from recycled telephone wire. pounds 50 from Bump, 0171-407 7482La Lu Cable Light by El Ultimo Grito Spanish design group El Ultimo Grito makes objects that are never quite finished until the user has got their hands on them. Bump favours the craft approach - each brick is hand-finished.