The international launch of Mercedes’ new B-Class is taking place in the music capital Vienna – a city which shaped the careers of some of the greatest classical musicians including Schubert, Beethoven and Mozart. According to Mercedes-Benz, the new B-Class is set to transform the Mercedes philosophy concerning the executive MPV and give it a fresh and contemporary feel. Could Mercedes achieve the same feat as violinist Vanessa Mae in 1995 with her album The Violin Player, to modernise classical music by making it fashionable and exciting? I drove the new B 200 CDI to find out.
Walking up to our allcoated Jupiter Red B-Class with sports pack the vote was unanimous – the new car appears far more athletic, with distinctive lines giving it a purposeful demeanour. The “mom’s taxi” association that plagued the previous model can be replaced by “executive sports tourer” and the new B-Class will not look out of place in the parking lot of the local golf club.
Inside the cabin, the sense of quality continues with the flowing design of the dashboard and signature Mercedes-Benz air vents taking centre stage. Soft-touch plastics are used in the right areas and the switchgear feels solid and nicely weighted. The only negative remarks concerned the over-conservative instrument cluster design and the central display screen which looks like an add-on. The upside of this screen (without touch functionality) is that the picture quality is exceptional, reminding of a high-resolution LED television set.
The seats are comfortable rather than sporty and the elevated driver’s position gives excellent all-round visibility. Where the cabin really shines is in its roominess – especially in the headroom department. This applies to both the front and rear occupants. Practicality has been a high priority and is evident in the seat flexibility to increase loading space.
Safety wise the new B-Class sets the standard in the segment with a system called Collision Prevention Assist which will amplify the braking signal from the driver in order to avoid a frontal collision. All the other Mercedes functions are also available including Distronic Plus, Pre-safe, Attention Assist and Adaptive Brake. Multiple airbags complete the safety package, including a new knee airbag for the driver.
The engine sampled was the higher specification 1,8-litre turbodiesel unit delivering 100 kW and 300 N.m of torque, which was found to be more than adequate. NVH idle performance can be better as some diesel clatter makes its way into the cabin. With the help of the ECO stop-start function the vehicle returns an amazing 4,4 litres/100 km in the combined NEDC cycle. During our test drive we managed a very respectable 5,8 litres/100 km, which included some “spirited” driving.
The all new six-speed manual transmission worked a treat and it was easy to keep the engine in the meaty part of the rev range to make quick progress. It is a rarity these days to drive a Mercedes with a manual gearbox but good to know that they can still compete with the best in this department. The “kick down” switch found on the accelerator pedal of variants fitted with auto boxes has been retained in the manual version and proved to be irritating as it fulfils no apparent function.
The newly designed front and rear suspension was found to be more suited to cruising (although firm) than tearing up a race track but fun can still be had if you respect the limits. Rather opt for the standard suspension set-up if you intent to cover long distances as the sport package can be jittery over road imperfections.
Has the B-Class managed to spice up the MPV segment? I’d say yes and with the new upcoming A-Class moving in a new design direction the B-Class may just finally get the full attention it deserves.
Specifications
Engine: in-line four cylinder
Power: 100 kW
Torque: 300 N.m
Acceleration 0-100 km/h: 9,5 s
Top speed: 210 km/h
Fuel consumption NEDC cycle combined: 4,4 litres/100 km
Price: Not yet confirmed for the South African market, launch in 2012