A Quick Review at the Mercedes-Benz B-Class
Giancarlo Perlas October 23, 2014
For a car starting at £21,500 (in UK) and $33,950 (in US), what can we expect from it? Here is a quick review of the overall features of the new Mercedes-Benz B-Class, which debuted in Paris early this month.
Exterior
The Mercedes-Benz B-Class did get a facelift. However, the changes in its design were only minor, and mostly at the front. A quick glimpse at the new B-Class and its predecessor would give the untrained eye a hard time differentiating the two. You actually have to look closer to appreciate the new one’s more premium and sportier styling brought about mainly by its redesigned bumper, front mesh, grille, hood, and LED lights.
Interior
Inside, the B-Class reverberates an air of luxury, which provides a very light and comfortable feel to its occupants. It remains a bit cramped though. Sure, you can fit a family of four easily in the car, but if the passengers are quite tall or have heavy frames, they might have some hard time stretching their legs. Well, that fact is already given anyway if you have chosen a compact car.
Performance
Unless you are in the major cities of Europe, you will get to enjoy a wide variety of engine options for the Mercedes-Benz B-Class. But, if you are in US, you will only have to settle with the Electric Drive variant.
For a normal everyday use like going to the office and driving the family, the 177 hp output is just enough. Then, the cherry on the overall features of the Mercedes-Benz B-Class is its ultra-frugal fuel-consumption and very low carbon dioxide emission.
With the exception of the Electric Drive model, the most thrifty of the bunch is the B180 CDI. The car can go up to 78.6 mpg and give up only 94 g/km emission. On the other hand, a fully-charged electric variant of the range can cover a distance of up to 85 miles before running out of battery juice.
Lastly, compared to the previous B-Class, you will notice that the noise of the car is quieter and its run is smoother. It should be noted that it has a lower lag when suddenly accelerating than its older version.
