I know how your feeling about how British journalists can kill a car but the reviews i've read have been mixed (just like the journo's testing it) i don't think the X-fire will go down like the probe did.
We have an slk and the interior is well laid out ,although the control stalk does take time to get used to if like me you drive other vehicles and it is not your daily driver.
I have a 1997 Top Gear review of the SLK and the review is near identical to the X-Fire on interior,a car that started out with a waiting list of 12 months!
The X-Fire is fairly compact inside as you will have seen at the preview but not uncomfortable.
My order is still in place.
LINK: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/motoring/...emfcross23.xml