Mercedes-Benz B-Class: First Look

By Feann Torr

Looking to extend its product range, German luxury car maker Mercedes-Benz has given its "Vision B" Sports Tourer Concept the green light for production.

The inevitable "but isn't it just an A-Class?" question will surely rear its head when conversation is steered towards the new B-Class, and a simple answer is "not really".

The B-Class measures 4270mm in length, which places it in the small car segment, but it is still longer than the 3776mm A-Class.

So, it's a bit bigger, a bit more versatile and of course it looks more contemporary than the A-Class.

In addition, the new pint-sized German will come equipped with all the latest in driving aids, such as electromechanical power steering, an electronic stability program and a selective damping system that adapts the shock absorber response to the current driving situation.

Thanks to all these new features, Mercedes is understandably calling the B-Class a 'compact sports tourer', which recently made its worldwide debut at the 2005 Geneva Motor Show, and another major feature of the new Merc is the sandwich concept.

Gastronomic jokes aside, the sandwich concept involves positioning two slices of wholegrain bread -- sorry -- the engine and transmission just in front and beneath the passenger cell.

This space saving arrangement opens up new levels of shoulder, leg and headroom for occupants in a car of its size, but also has numerous safety benefits as well: in the event of a severe frontal impact, the drive unit is not shoved backwards towards the interior, potentially crushing limbs, but is engineered to slide downwards and away from passengers instead.

'Tis true - improved safety and comfort - and Mercedes-Benz even goes so far as to say: "Occupants in the rear benefit from the long wheelbase (2778 mm); this allows a distance between seats and generous kneeroom which almost matches that in the S-Class."

There you have it folks - trade in the S-Class and 7 Series now.

But in all seriousness, the B-Class is more than a fancier, sportier-looking A-Class. And while we're on the topic of interiors, I should make mention of the B-Class's rather pragmatic height-adjustable load compartment floor.

This neat little feature allows users to configure the rear of the vehicle as they see fit, so you can go from a comfy 5-seater to a spacious 2-seater van, with enough room to haul heaps of carpet.

It's evident that Mercedes has put a lot of effort into the interior dynamics, and it could pay dividends for the company at a time when more and more customers are in search of small, economical cars that are easy to drive and park, but with practical and spacious interiors.

Even the front passenger seat can be removed making for a maximum loading length of 2.95 metres, perfect for extra long objects, such as a rolled up Persian rug. Depending on the number and position of the seats, the load capacity can be increased from 544 to up to 2245 litres.

In addition to the B-Class's sporty look, complete with flared wheel arches and wedge-shaped body, the B-Class will be offered with a number of 4-cylinder engines designed to give the new range a more athletic character than that of the smaller A-Class.

All told, Mercedes-Benz will offers a choice of six 4-cylinder engines, with a broad range of power outputs from 68 to 142kW (95 to 193hp). The quickest B-Class model in the petrol range is the B200 Turbo, which is powered by a 142kW, 2.0-litre turbo/intercooled 4-cylinder engine.

It generates 280Nm of torque @ 1800, and the torque curve remains flat until 4850rpm, enabling a 7.6 second 0-100km/h dash. Top speed is 225km/h (140mph).

The B200 CDI represents the range-topping diesel-powered B-Class model and though it's not quite as powerful as the petrol model, it develops more torque, to the tune of 300Nm.

It's lower power output of 140hp, or 103kW, means that its 0-100km/h dash suffers somewhat (9.6 secs), but the diesel is more fuel efficient than its petrol powered partner, and with the Kyoto Protocol coming in to effect everywhere but Australia and America, its fuel consumption figures of less than 6.0 litres per 100 kilometres (city/highway combined) will put it in good stead for the future.

The new B200 Turbo and the CDI models (B180 CDI and B200 CDI) will be offered with a 6-speed manual transmission as standard, whilst the newly developed, AutoTronic CVT (continuously variable transmission) is optionally available for all engine variants of the B-Class.

Like all good Mercs, the B-Class has interior appointments to match all the high tech chassis and drivetrain features, with standard equipment including a steering wheel with multifunction buttons, an armrest between the front seats, power windows, air conditioning, tinted glass, plus lashings of brushed aluminium.

Buyers who want to further customise their new B200 Turbo or B180 CDI can option items such as ThermoTronic automatic climate control, electrically adjustable front seats, leather upholstery and the COMAND APS. And what would a new European car be without a 0.6-square-metre panoramic glass roof?

More than just a tarted-up, face-lifted A-Class, the new B-Class from Mercedes-Benz made its global debut at the 2005 Geneva Motor Show and will bring more not just increased performance, but also a high degree of versatility to the table. This idea of flexibility is an aspect the German automaker is keen to spruik, and something we'll see more of in the upcoming and similarly-marketed R-Class people mover.