02 Mar 05
The B-Class first made its debut as the Compact Sport Tourer concept, but Mercedes has launched the production models in Geneva. Based on the latest A-Class platform - with its 'sandwich floor' structure and compact installation of engine and transmission - the B has a longer wheelbase giving generous legroom for rear-seat passengers and a cabin as spacious as that of many larger saloons and estates. Designed as a smaller (Golf-sized) answer to the upcoming R-Class crossover, it is styled as a station wagon/MPV hybrid and will have interior functionality comparable to an MPV with removable, folding rear seats and a height-adjustable load compartment floor.
The B-Class will come with six four-cylinder engines delivering 95bhp to 193bhp, including a new B200 Turbo unit which will accelerate 0-60 in 7.6 seconds - the first of Mercedes' new turbocharged petrol engines, which will gradually replace the Kompressor supercharged units. Diesels include the 140bhp B200 CDI - 0-60 in 9.6 seconds, 50.4mpg - and all diesels meet the Euro 4 emissions standards even without a particulate filter. Six-speed manual transmission is standard on the B200 Turbo, B180 CDI and B200 CDI, and auto gearboxes are optional in all versions. The B will also feature a newly-developed electromechanical power steering system, a new rear axle (said to make "a major contribution to the stable, sporty and precise handling, as well as the excellent ride comfort of the new B-Class"), revised ESP with Steer Control and a new selective damping system to adapt shock absorber response. Standard equipment will include air conditioning, with options including leather upholstery, full auto climate control, sat nav, electrically-adjustable seats, a panoramic louvered sunroof or fixed glass roof panel and adaptive bi-xenon headlights. UK sales will begin in winter 2005; prices will be announced nearer the time.
