The Mercedes B-Class has evolved. Gone is the frumpy MPV of old, replaced by something that looks sharper, boasts a quality-rich and tech-laden interior and is surprisingly good to drive. It shares its underpinnings with the A-Class, but offers more room in the cabin, with the rear seats offering luxury saloon levels of space. But the lack of clear space between the B-Class and the A-Class means that it fails to offer a real unique selling point – it’s not flexible enough to be a true MPV, while the A-Class edges it in terms of style, image and dynamics. In isolation, it’s a very good car, it’s just that it isn’t entirely clear what it wants to be.
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and while it would be a stretch to call the new B-Class ‘beautiful’, it’s certainly more attractive than the old model. Gone is the frumpy, MPV-like exterior, replaced by something more cohesive and, dare we say it, sporty.
That’s no surprise, given the fact that the designers were told to make the B-Class stand out from the minivans of the world. The result is a car that’s lower than before, graced with shorter overhangs and a face that’s 100 per cent A-Class.
Which, in our book, is a good result. It’s 10mm wider than before, with this width accentuated by a pair of distinctive rear lights. Predictably, the B-Class looks at its best in AMG Line trim, thanks to a host of cosmetic trimmings, 18-inch alloy wheels and a distinctive chrome grille.
The positive vibes continue on the inside, with an interior that’s lifted almost entirely from the A-Class. The key difference is in the design of the instrument panel, which in the B-Class is a single unit, rather than the split bodies of the A-Class.
It’s dominated by five, high-quality, circular air vents and the display units (more on these in the next section). Standard equipment includes dual-zone climate control, front and rear armrests, multifunction steering wheel and an array of ambient lighting.
The cabin vibe changes depending on whether you opt for Sport or AMG Line, with the latter offering the likes of stainless steel pedals, sports seats, flat-bottom steering wheel and AMG floor mats.
Three equipment packs are available: Executive, Premium and Premium Plus. In Premium Plus guise, you get all three packs for £3,500, with the kit comprising multibeam LED headlights, memory seats, panoramic sunroof, mid-range sound system, keyless entry, 10.25-inch instrument cluster, heated front seats and a choice of 64 colours for the ambient lighting.
Sat-nav, stereo and infotainment
The new Mercedes-Benz User Experience (MBUX) infotainment system is fitted as standard and is a welcome addition to the range. In our opinion, it’s one of the best systems on the market.
The MBUX system can be controlled via a touchpad on the centre console or via the buttons on the steering wheel, but more impressive is the voice control. It uses a “Hey Mercedes” command, in much the same way you might use Apple’s Siri or Amazon’s Alexa personal assistants.
The majority of the infotainment functions can be accessed using voice control, including the sat-nav, phone calls or choice of music. You can even use indirect commands, such as “I feel cold” to adjust the heating. Over time, MBUX will adjust to your personal habits, such as your route to work and your favourite radio station.
Two 7-inch screens come as standard on both the Sport and AMG Line models, but it’s possible to upgrade to a 10.25-inch infotainment screen as part of the Executive equipment pack (£1,400) and/or the 10.25-inch instrument cluster as part of the Premium equipment pack (£2,300). The Premium pack also includes a 225-watt mid-range sound system.
On the road, the Mercedes B-Class feels like a slightly top-heavy A-Class rather than a traditional MPV. In fact, it’s easy to forget you’re not driving the A-Class.
You sit a little higher, which gives a commanding view of the road ahead, but this does create a slight feeling of detachment that you don’t get in the A-Class. However, this is a small price to pay for the additional practicality and space.
There’s very little roll when cornering – body control is remarkably good for a car in this segment. A sophisticated multi-link rear suspension is fitted to the AMG Line models, which tightens things up even further and allows for hard cornering. In this configuration, the suspension is lowered by 15mm at the rear and 20mm at the front.
Notably, the sports suspension has little effect on the ride quality, which remains composed and supple over rough roads, with only the very worst potholes sending shockwaves through the cabin. The steering is set-up for comfort rather than sporty driving, although the Sports Direct-Steer system on the AMG Line version improves agility and straight-line stability.
Most models are fitted with a seven-speed DCT automatic transmission, although the B 200 and B 220 diesel versions get an eight-speed unit. The gearbox can feel a little hesitant at junctions and roundabouts, but is perfectly suited to the relaxed and smooth nature of the B-Class. A manual gearbox will be added to the range at a later date.
Overall, the B-Class is a far more pleasant car to drive than the previous model. The majority of owners will appreciate its comfortable and untroubled qualities, but in AMG Line guise – and with a larger engine – there’s plenty to reward the keener driver.
Engines, 0-60 acceleration and top speed
The B-Class is no slouch, especially if you opt for the 2.0-litre versions. The B 250 petrol will sprint to 62mph in just 6.4 seconds, before going on to reach a top speed limited to 155mph. The B 220 4 Matic is a tad slower, hitting 62mph in 7.1 seconds, but this version will have the advantage when conditions are less than ideal.
Meanwhile, the 1.33-litre petrol versions offer more leisurely progress, with the 134bhp B 180 hitting 62mph in 9.0 seconds and the 161bhp B 200 in 8.2. The top speeds are 132mph and 139mph respectively.
The pick of the diesel engines is the B 220d, which offers 187bhp and 400Nm of torque to deliver hot hatch levels of performance. The 0-62mph time is polished off in 7.2 seconds. while the top speed is 145mph.
Opt for the 148bhp B 200d and the 0-62mph time increases to 8.3 seconds, while the Renault-sourced 1.5-litre diesel engine in the B 180d completes the sprint in a relaxed 10.7 seconds.
The B-Class hasn’t been tested by Euro NCAP, but the A-Class scored incredibly well in 2018. A 96 per cent rating for adult occupant safety was second only to the Volvo XC40 and on a par with the S60/V60.
Meanwhile, 91 per cent for child occupant safety was the joint-highest, while 92 per cent for pedestrian safety was the top mark. Even a score of 75 per cent for safety assist technologies does little to change our view that the B-Class will perform well when it is crash tested by Euro NCAP.
There’s a generous level of standard safety equipment, while a Driving Assistance pack can be added for £1,700. This package includes blind spot assist, emergency braking, steering assist, adaptive cruise control and route-based speed adjustment.
Mercedes finished a commendable third on the list of the most reliable car manufacturers in our 2018 Driver Power customer satisfaction survey. Although the previous B-Class didn’t feature on the list of the best cars to own, the C-Class finished 27th and the A-Class 56th out of 75 vehicles, which suggests there’s room for improvement.
Warranty
The B-Class is covered by a three-year/unlimited mileage warranty, which puts it on a par with the BMW 2 Series Active Tourer, but superior to Audi models, which are covered by three-year/60,000-mile warranties.
Servicing
The Mercedes Service Care package is available on the B-Class, which allows you to spread the cost of servicing. It costs £29 a month for both the Sport and AMG Line models.
The new B-Class is both wider and longer than the previous model, with an extra 30mm between the front and rear axles. It means that it feels very much like an ‘A-Class plus’, very much in the style of the Volkswagen Golf SV in comparison to the standard Golf hatchback.
It’s not an MPV as such – Mercedes is keen to promote the improved dynamics of this new version – but the B-Class does deliver some of the benefits associated with a people-carrier. There’s a raised driving position, which makes it feel markedly different from the A-Class, while it’s also easier to enter and exit the vehicle.
Size
The new B-Class is 30mm longer than the old model, taking the overall length up to 4,419mm. It’s also 10mm wider, making the width 1,796mm, while the height is 1,562mm. The A-Class measures 1,440mm in height, so you can see why the cabin feels more expansive. The A-Class is as long and as wide as the B-Class.
Leg room, head room & passenger space
The shorter overhangs and the extra space between the front and rear axles have paid dividends on the inside. All five occupants will enjoy ample headroom and legroom, with passengers in the back free to stretch their legs in near-luxury saloon style.
Boot
At 455 litres, the boot is roughly the same size as the old B-Class, but a sliding rear seat will be added to the range in mid-2019, which will increase the luggage capacity to 705 litres when required.
The at-present fixed rear bench splits and folds in three sections to a useful 40:20:40 ratio, and with all three folded flat, the boot extends to 1,540 litres of space. That’s 30 litres more than you’d find in the 2 Series Active Tourer, but the BMW is also offered as a longer-wheelbase Gran Tourer variant.
From mid-2019, a folding backrest will be available for the front passenger seat, making the B-Class even more practical on those trips to Sweden’s most famous furniture store. An Easy-Pack electric tailgate is standard equipment,
Towing
The B 220 4Matic petrol is the best choice if you intend to do a little light towing, offering a braked towing capacity of 1,800kg. Other models offer between 1,400kg and 1,600kg depending on the engine size.
Unlike some of its rivals – most notably the BMW 2 Series Active Tourer – there’s no plug-in hybrid version of the B-Class, which means you’re restricted to conventional petrol and diesel engines. Not that this means anything other than impressive levels of fuel economy.
The 1.5-litre diesel in the B 180 model is the eco-champion, delivering between 51.4mpg and 60.1mpg depending on the choice of wheels. The 2.0-litre diesel first seen in the E-Class isn’t too far behind, offering 51.4mpg to 57.7mpg in the B 200d and 50.4mpg to 56.5mpg in the B 220d.
Predictably, the petrol engines aren’t as efficient, but these are the units to go for if you intend to do anything less than 12,000 miles in a year. The 1.33-litre in the B 180 is the most economical, delivering between 40.4mpg and 47.1mpg.
This engine is also found in the more powerful B 200, but the economy drops to between 39.8mpg and 46.3mpg. Of the two 2.0-litre petrol variants, the B 250 is the most efficient, delivering 36.7mpg to 40.4mpg. Opt for the B 220 4Matic and this drops to between 34mpg and 38.7mpg.
CO2 emissions range from 112g/km to 116g/km for the diesel variants and 125g/km to 153g/km for the petrol versions. All B-Class models will cost £140 per year in VED road tax, but go easy on the options if you want to avoid creeping through the £40,000 barrier, which would result in a £310 annual surcharge.
Insurance groups
The insurance groups haven’t been announced, but we’d expect the new B-Class to be a close match for the previous model. This would mean groups ranging from 12 for the B 180 Sport to 27 for the B 220 Sport.
Depreciation
The previous Mercedes B-Class held its value better than the majority of its mainstream rivals and we’d expect this new model to follow suit. In fact, with improved styling, keen dynamics and the very latest infotainment system, it’s likely to depreciate even slower.
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