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Mercedes-Benz enhances its family car offering with the launch of its new B-Class locally.
Its design is much more dynamic than its predecessor and is more agile on the road while offering greater comfort.
The B-Class benefits from Mercedes-Benz premier infotainment system MBUX; Its strengths include brilliant graphics, “Hey Mercedes” voice control, a standard touch screen and functions such as MBUX Augmented Reality.
Image: Motorpress
When it comes to active safety, state-of-the-art driving assistance systems make the B-Class one of the segment leaders with technology carried over from the S-Class. In addition, the interior is now more spacious, while the engines are more efficient and cleaner. The eight-speed dual-clutch transmission makes its debut.
"In our portfolio of compacts, it’s the perfect vehicle for the whole family. And MBUX – the new Mercedes-Benz User Experience – provides also the B-Class with an all-new customer experience with functions that were previously the reserve of the luxury class," says Selvin Govender, Marketing Director for Passenger Cars.
When ordered with LEDs, the B-Class comes with its own daytime running-light signature in the form of a "double torch". The optional Multibeam LEDs have an especially sporty look.
They allow fast, electronically controlled adjustment of the headlamps to suit the current traffic conditions. This feature from the luxury class, which made its debut in the compact segment in the new A-Class, now produces striking looks and added safety also in the new B-Class.
Image: Motorpress
At the rear, the width of the vehicle is accentuated by two-part lights, reflectors integrated in the bumper, distinctive black bumper and chromed trim. The large spoiler, along with high-gloss black spoilers at the sides of the rear window, makes for improved aerodynamics while ensuring a sporty appearance.
The improved seat geometry and lower belt line make for an even more generous feeling of space than in the previous model. The driver sits 90mm higher than in an A-Class, thus enjoying an especially good all-round view – also thanks to optimised cross-sections of the roof pillars, which obscure less of the surroundings.
Interior design: revolution, the second
The interior of the B-Class is as avant-garde as the much-praised revolutionary interior architecture of the new A-Class. While the instrument panel of the sister model is split into two horizontal basic bodies, that of the B-Class has a single basic volume, which drops away towards the occupants and has cutouts in the area of the driver and front passenger.
The cutout in front of the driver houses the fully free-standing display unit, which comes in the Widescreen version, with two 10.25" displays. A head-up display is optional.
The five round air vents feature a high-grade turbine look with finely styled air ducts, inspired by the world of aviation. In the Style equipment line, the vent surround is colour-accentuated in the depth of the vent geometry to give the impression of an afterburner.
Image: Motorpress
The centre console with touch-based control and input system comes with a black panel look similar to the E-Class. The ambience lighting with 64 colours and ten colour schemes, unique in this segment, allows individual adjustments, even to suit the mood.
The seats offer a flatter and, therefore, more comfortable seating position as well as a larger adjustment range, which also increases the maximum headroom. There is also more space in the width: at 1.4m (plus 33 mm), the front elbow width now has the dimensions of a mid-range vehicle.
Energizing seat kinetics:
With seat climate control and multi-contour seats with massage function, the new B-Class is available with optional extras that were previously reserved for vehicles from much higher segments. This opens the way to even better seating comfort.
The new energizing seat kinetics is particularly good for the back. It can support orthopaedically beneficial changes of posture by regularly making minute adjustments to the angle of the seat cushion and backrest. The innovation is available for the front seats in combination with all-electric seat adjustment with memory function.
Variable rear seats
The interior has been fine-tuned in many places: the improved passage over the centre tunnel in the rear makes for a more accessible middle seat. The rear seat backrest comes as standard with a 40:20:40 split. Although the capacity is roughly the same as in the previous model, the luggage compartment can be more efficiently used thanks to the improvements.
With the rear seat folded down and luggage loaded to the roof, the luggage compartment, which is flat thanks to the adjustable load compartment floor, can accommodate up to 1540 litres behind the front seats.
Image: Motorpress
An easy-Pack tailgate is optionally available. It can be conveniently opened or closed automatically at the press of a button, even by means of a foot movement in combination with optional Hands-Free Access.
MBUX – Mercedes-Benz User Experience
What goes for A also goes for B; the new B-Class is the second car model after the A-Class to feature the MBUX (Mercedes-Benz User Experience) multimedia system, which ushered in a new era with Mercedes me Connectivity.
Its ability to learn thanks to Artificial Intelligence makes the system unique. MBUX is customisable and adapts to the user. It thus creates an emotional link between vehicle, driver and passengers.
Its other strengths include touch screen control as standard as well as, depending on equipment, a high-resolution Widescreen cockpit, navigation display with Augmented Reality technology plus intelligent voice control with natural speech recognition, which is activated by saying "Hey Mercedes". The touch screen is part of the integrated MBUX touch control concept – a trio consisting of touch screen, touchpad on the centre console (optional) and touch controls on the steering wheel.
Intelligent Drive
The new B-Class comes with driving assistance systems with cooperative driver support, thus providing one of the highest levels of active safety in this segment with functions from the S-C lass. The B-Class is now able to integrate the various featuers to improve the driving experience.
This includes features such as Active Distance Assist distronic as part of the Driving Assistance package in order to support the driver in many route-specific situations, anticipatory and conveniently adjusting the speed, e.g. when approaching bends, junctions or roundabouts. Also available are Active Emergency Stop Assist and intuitively understandable Active Lane Change Assist.
The new B-Class comes as standard with Active Brake Assist, which can help mitigate the severity of rear-end collisions with slower-moving, stopping or stationary vehicles ahead.
The new B-Class was developed and tested at the new Vehicle Safety Technology Centre (TFS), too. The design of the vehicle structures with regard to geometry, material thickness, joining technique and material quality incorporates findings from real-world accidents.
Image: Motorpress
Driver and front passenger are provided with three-point seat belts with pyrotechnic belt tensioners and belt force limitation. In combination with the PRE-SAFE system (optional extra), the front seats are additionally equipped with electrically reversible belt reel tensioners.
Both of the outer rear seats are fitted with a seat belt with reel tensioner and belt force limiter. The new B-Class comes as standard with airbags for driver and front passenger, kneebag for driver and windowbags and sidebags (combined thorax/pelvis bag). Rear sidebags are optionally available.
Double powertrain debut
Compared to its predecessor, the new B-Class is in all cases powered by new, efficient engines, all of which comply with the Euro 6d-TEMP limits. Making its debut is a transverse-mounted version of the OM 654 two-litre diesel with 110kW, aluminium crankcase and stepped-bowl combustion process.
Thanks to extended exhaust after-treatment with an additional underfloor SCR catalyst, the B-Class with the OM 654q is the first compact model from Mercedes-Benz to be certified in accordance with the Euro 6d standard in the future.
Also available is the four-cylinder petrol engine of the M 282 series with 1.33litre displacement and 120 kW. Innovations include cylinder management (in combination with 7G-DCT transmission), delta shape of the cylinder head and particle filter.
The new B-Class is initially available exclusively with dual-clutch transmissions. New here is the eight-speed 8G-DCT, which is used in combination with the diesel engine. Other new engines will follow, as will models with 4MATIC allwheel drive. A 43-litre tank is installed as standard.
The B200 and B200d engine variants will be available for retail.
The new OM 654q diesel engine
The transverse-mounted version of the latest premium diesel engine family makes its debut in the new B-Class. Despite its lower displacement – just under two litres – the around 16 percent lighter new diesel engine with 140kW puts out 10kW more than the previous engine. On the inside, the OM 654q offers efficiency -enhancing technological highlights such as steel pistons with stepped bowls in an aluminium block.
With a cylinder spacing of just 90 mm instead of 94 mm, the new engine is more compact than its predecessor thus allowing the exhaust aftertreatment components to be installed directly on the engine, where the exhaust temperature is higher, making for more efficient aftertreatment.
Image: Motorpress
Thanks to further improved exhaust aftertreatment, the powerful four-cylinder from the modern OM 654 engine family already meets the Stage 2 RDE (Real Driving Emissions) standard coming into force from 2020, and is certified to Euro 6d. Even in demanding driving situations and under challenging environmental conditions, the B-Class remains within all the emissions limits.
This is achieved by additional selective catalytic reduction (SCR) with an ammonia slip catalyst (ASC) in the exhaust system of the B-Class. This allows a more generous dose of the reduction agent AdBlue, as any surpluses can be reduced and converted in the second SCR.
Image: Motorpress
Technical data at a glance
Image: Motorpress
