This video features the Mercedes-Benz B-Class range.

Ten Second Review

The latest Mercedes-Benz A-Class opened to rave reviews but its bigger sibling, the B-Class never garnered too many column inches. In a bid to propel it into the limelight, the Stuttgarters have boosted its equipment levels, tweaked the styling and even offered an electric variant.

Background

Most people will be able to picture a Mercedes-Benz A-Class. Few will be able to visualise a B-Class - and that is a problem. Car buyers draw up a shortlist of potentials and if a vehicle isn't at the forefront of their minds when they do this, it soon becomes a curio or also-ran. The thing is, while the first generation B-Class deserved to be forgotten about, the second generation car was genuinely worth your attention. The issue at hand was that too few people even knew it existed, let alone what its qualities were. Mercedes realised this and have tried to make the B-Class a bit more memorable, beefing up the styling and improving the value proposition. It'll never be an exciting car per se, but the B-Class is a model that family buyers ought to consider. It's now been refined to a rare polish.

Driving Experience

The most interesting news is the launch of the B-class Electric Drive model that's been developed in co-operation with Tesla. Power comes via a 177bhp electric motor that punts it silently to 62mph in 7.9sec and on to a limited top speed of 100mph. Introduced to vie with the Volkswagen e-Golf and BMW i3, the batteries, motor and other drive ancillaries tack another 200kg to the kerb weight, lifting it to a big-boned 1650kg. If you prefer more overtly fossil-sourced propulsion, the B-Class gets an improved Renault-derived 1.5-litre four-cylinder diesel in the B180 CDI which improves efficiency by about five per cent. The 2.1-litre B200 and B220 CDI diesels continue, the latter offered with an all-wheel drive variant. Petrol power comes via a pair of 1.6-litre four-cylinder units. The B180 is good for 122PS and the B200 a modest 156PS. A six-speed manual transmission is fitted as standard but a clever 7G-DCT dual clutch transmission is available as an option. This shifts gear with virtually no interruption in motive power and Mercedes claims it combines the comfort of an automatic with the efficiency of a manual transmission.

Design and Build

Petrol and diesel models now get a revised front bumper, wide radiator trim with two louvres and now integral daytime running lamps in the headlamps. The rear bumper has also been modified and now features a contoured covering and an additional chrome trim strip. LED High Performance headlamps are optional while all B-Class models get standard fit bicolour tail lamps featuring LED technology provide emphasis and make the vehicle more visible. The cabin's come in for a spruce-up too, with materials quality improved, the dial pack restyled, a choice of 12 ambient lighting colours, as well as a bigger free-standing head unit display. There's still a good deal of space on board, the 976mm of of rear legroom even acing the S-Class luxury saloon. This car is also optionally available with the Easy-Vario-Plus system which enables simple reorganisation of the interior so as to enable the transportation of bulky items. Features of the this package include fore/aft adjustment of the rear seats by up to 140 millimetres (thereby increasing the luggage compartment volume from 488 to 666 litres) and a front passenger seat where the backrest can be folded forward onto the seat cushion.

Market and Model

The previous model B-Class struggled to assert itself in a very talented marketplace that was stuffed with bigger and more cost-effective rivals. This latest version isn't going to diverge too much from the pricing model but it now goes some way to justifying those prices by bringing a properly grown-up Mercedes-Benz look and feel to the party. Equipment levels are a good deal more agreeable too, with plenty of standard kit and some very interesting options. Mercedes usually leads the market when it comes to tech but it has found itself playing catch-up when it comes to mobile technology convergence. The Collision Prevention Assist Plus package features autonomous partial braking to reduce the risk of rear-end collisions. The standard Attention Assist feature has also been upgraded: operating within an extended speed range (37 - 124 mph), this now uses a five-stage bar display to visualise the driver's current attention level. There's also 'Mercedes connect me", a connected services package that includes an emergency call function if by some chance you do manage to crash. The electric version gets an extended version. The charging level of the lithium-ion battery and vehicle range can be queried from a distance and, depending on the temperature, you can even pre-heat or pre-cool the vehicle ready for a specified departure time.

Cost of Ownership

The B-Class engine line up screams of efficiency with a very low drag coefficient and a number of energy saving features such as eco start/stop and the electrically-assisted steering system. The latest B220 CDI 4MATIC offers real efficiency gains over its predecessor, lowering CO2 from 150 to 130g/km. Fuel economy for the diesels ranges between 56.5 and 78.5mpg, while the petrol engines come in at between 42.8 and 52.3mpg. The B-class Electric Drive uses a 16.6kWh lithium ion battery that is claimed to provide it with a range of around 124 miles. Depreciation of the old B-Class was slightly better than average for the compact MPV class and this latest model should improve that a little further thanks to less residual dilution die to better standard equipment and also the beneficial effect of improved engine efficiency.

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Specification

Body Glass
Green tinted glass
Rear wiper
Electric front/rear windows/one touch operation
Rain sensor windscreen wipers
Heated windscreen wash system
Heated rear window with timer
Brakes
ABS with Brake Assist
ESP with ASR
Electronic parking brake
Hill start assist
Brake callipers with Mercedes-Benz lettering + perforated brake discs
Chassis/Suspension
Lowered suspension
Driver Aids
Reversing camera
Direct steering
Attention assist
Collision prevention assist
Drive Mode Selector
Active park assist
Driver Information
Low fluid warning light
External temperature gauge
Service indicator (ASSYST PLUS)
Mercedes-Benz emergency call
Instrument cluster with 4.5-inch TFT colour display
Multi function trip computer
8" colour display screen
Driving Mirrors
Elec heated + adjust door mirrors
Electric folding door mirrors
Auto dimming interior and driver's door mirror
Embellishment Trims
Air vents in Silver-chrome
Carbon fibre dash trim
Entertainment
USB port
Bluetooth audio streaming
Media interface
Exterior Body Features
Body colour door handles
Body colour bumpers
AMG body styling
Aluminium front door sills
Twin exhaust tailpipes with chrome finishers
Door sill plates with "Mercedes-Benz" lettering
Exterior Lights
Automatic headlamp activation
Adaptive brake lights
LED daytime running lights
LED headlights
LED rear lights
High beam assist
Heating/Cooling/Ventilation
Dual zone automatic climate control
Interior Features
Centre console with cupholders
Load compartment cover
Height/reach adjustable steering column
AMG brushed stainless steel sports pedals with rubber studs
Rear armrest with 2 cupholders and load through provision
Leather trimmed gearshift with chrome inserts
Door centre panels in dinamica
Storage compartment in front doors
2 Position luggage floor
Sliding front centre armrest with storage compartment
Driver and passenger underseat storage box
Storage compartment in centre console
3 spoke flat bottomed sports leather multi function steering wheel with red contrast stitching
Glovebox
Front centre armrest with storage compartment
12V power points in front + rear centre consoles
Interior Lights
Reading lights
Luggage compartment lighting
Footwell lights
12 colour Ambient lighting
Courtesy lights
Safety
Front seat side impact airbags
Child proof door locks
Warning triangle and first aid kit
Dual stage Driver/Passenger Airbags
Tyre pressure monitoring system
Drivers knee airbag
5 x 3 point seatbelts
Front passenger airbag deactivation
Window airbags
Crash responsive emergency lighting
Seat occupancy sensor
Front and rear seatbelt reminder
Seat Piping/Additional Trimming
Contrast stitching - Red
Seats
Heated front seats
Front headrests
Rear headrests
1/3 to 2/3 split folding rear seats
Auto Mercedes-Benz child seat recognition sensor
Sliding rear seats
Isofix rear child seat fastenings
Height adjustable headrests
Seat cushion angle adjustment
Security
Remote central locking
Locking wheel bolts
Alarm system/interior protection/immobiliser
Vanity Mirrors
Driver/passenger sunvisors and illuminated vanity mirrors
Wheels - Spare
Tirefit sealant with electric air pump

Options

Entertainment
DAB Digital radio	£420.00
Audio 20 radio/CD/telephone keypad/bluetooth interface	Standard
Packs
Driving assistance pack - B Class	£1,695.00
Exclusive pack - B Class	£895.00
AMG exclusive pack - B Class	£895.00
Night pack - B Class AMG Line	£595.00
Lane tracking pack - B Class	£595.00
Storage pack - B Class	£170.00
Paint - Metallic
Metallic - Polar silver	£595.00
Metallic - Cosmos Black	£595.00
Metallic - Mountain grey	£595.00
Metallic - Orient bronze	£595.00
Metallic - Cavansite Blue	£595.00
Paint - Solid
Solid - Cirrus white	Standard
Solid - Jupiter Red	Standard
Exterior Body Features
Chrome beltline	Standard
Metallic paint	£595.00
Solid paint	Standard
Radiator grille with 2 louvres in Iridium silver with chrome trim	Standard
Interior Features
Dividing net - rear	£125.00
Artico leather/Dinamica upholstery	Standard
Body Glass
Privacy glass (to rear of B post)	£295.00
Driver Information
Mercedes connect me	Standard
Garmin Map pilot navigation system with SD Card	Standard
COMAND Online system with HDD navigation, CD/DVD, Linguatronic voice control, Internet access, WLAN hotspot and smartphone integration	£995.00
Mercedes connect me with remote online services	£150.00
Comand Online system with HDD navigation, CD/DVD, Linguatronic voice control, Internet access and WLAN hotspot	£995.00
Driver Aids
Cruise control + speed limiter	Standard
Driving Mirrors
Body colour door mirrors	Standard
Carpets/Rugs
AMG floor mats with red stitching	Standard
Trim - Leather
Exclusive pack - Leather - Hazelnut brown	£895.00
Artico leather/Dinamica - Black	Standard
Exclusive pack - Leather - Cranberry red	£895.00
Exclusive pack - Leather - Black	£895.00
AMG Exclusive pack - Perforated Leather - Black with red cut	£895.00
Wheels - Alloy
18" AMG 5 twin spoke light alloy wheels in titanium grey with high sheen finish	Standard

Performance

Performance
0 to 60 mph (secs)
0 to 62 mph (secs)	8.7
Engine Power - BHP	122
Engine Power - KW	90
Engine Power - PS
Engine Power - RPM	5000
Engine Torque - LBS.FT	148
Engine Torque - NM	200
Engine Torque - RPM	1250
Top Speed	124