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By
EWAN KENNEDY
31 July 2006
The Mercedes B-Class is in reality a tall
five-door hatchback aimed at family car buyers. Yet its designers have
gone for a sporting, purposeful machine, thereby opening it up to those
who like something more than merely commonsense in their cars.
The front of the B-Class is
distinctive thanks to strong lines in the bonnet that merge neatly
into the large grille. The downward slope of the roof at the rear
works well visually and provides high-speed aerodynamic stability
for the European markets. We wouldn’t go as far as to call the
B-Class a ‘sports tourer’ as Mercedes has tagged it, but it
does set some interesting new directions. It will be interesting
to see if other makers follow suit in their small-medium hatches.
This Mercedes isn’t cheap in
absolute terms, starting at $44,900. However, for that money you
get some class-leading engineering, as well as a host of luxury
and safety features.
We are all aware that you pay
several thousand extra dollars simply for the privilege of sitting
behind that three-pointed star. A classic case of charging what
the market will bear. Many feel it’s worth the money.
The B-Class is constructed on a
stretched version of the Mercedes A-Class platform. It has a
transverse four-cylinder engine that is slanted well forward so
that the bottom of the engine actually sits under the front of the
cabin. This not only improves interior volume, but also adds crash
safety as the engine is forced under the floor during a major
impact.
The Mercedes B-Class has a huge
amount of interior space for a car that’s only 4.3 metres long.
Indeed, there's almost as much legroom in the rear seat as there
is in the topline Mercedes S-Class Merc.
The front seats are large and
well-shaped and support well despite initially feeling rather on
the hard side in the Mercedes’ tradition. There's plenty of
space for two large adults in the rear seat and three children
will have stretch out room.
The boot is bigger and more useable
than that of many larger cars. Not only is it voluminous, the
luggage area is amongst the most versatile we have ever come
across in a hatchback. Not only do the back seats fold flat, their
backrests can be removed altogether, as can the front-passenger
seat, to create an almost van-like interior.
Note that the removable seats are
an extra-cost option, though you may care to have a go at twisting
the dealer’s arm to have it included in the price.
Mercedes offers a number of petrol
and turbo-diesel engines in the B-Class. The one we have had on
test for a week is the B180 CDI with a 1.8-litre diesel. Diesels
are coming on in leaps and bounds in Europe at the moment and have
arrived just in time for their fuel-economy benefits to partially
counter the current oil-price shock.
Australians are also taking to
diesel engines with gusto and the market has more doubled in the
last year, albeit from a very low base.
The unit fitted in the B-Class is
typical of the latest generation in that it is all but
indistinguishable from a petrol engine in its noise and vibration
characteristics. You do know it’s a diesel at idle, especially
when you hear if from outside the car. There's minimal turbo lag
and the engine has plenty of torque from about 2000 rpm upwards.
Fuel consumption is low. You will
be able to get this spacious Merc under seven litres per hundred
kilometres without going to extremes when driving it on easy
country trips. Typically it will run between seven and eight
litres per hundred on motorways. Around town you are unlikely to
see the consumption on the wrong side of ten litres per hundred
kilometres.
Keep in mind, though, that diesel
is discounted less than petrol and is frequently more expensive to
buy. Also be aware that it seems all but impossible to refuel a
diesel car without getting oily fingers.
Handling in the B-Class is
excellent for a mid-sized front-wheel-drive car, with good
balance, and minimal understeer at normal speeds. Backed up by
Mercedes' inbuilt electronic stability program, this is one of the
safest cars on the road.
There's a solid, quiet, refined
feel in the new Benz B-Class that belies it size. It’s not quite
as quiet and smooth to ride in as the larger Merc sedans, but it
comes impressively close.
Is the spacious Mercedes hatchback
worth the money? Only you, the potential buyer, can decide that.
But the car has received a lot of favourable response in its early
days and is appealing to those who can sit outside the automotive
square.
AT A GLANCE
MODEL RANGE
B180 CDI 2.0-litre turbo diesel five-door hatch - $44,900
B200 2.0-litre five-door hatch - $44,900
200T 2.0-litre turbo five-door hatch - $48,900
FEATURES
ABS Brakes: Standard in all models
Air Conditioning: Standard in all models
Automatic Transmission: $2500 option in all models
CD Player: Standard in all models
Central Locking: Standard in all models
Cruise Control: Standard in all models
Driver Airbag: Standard in all models
Passenger Airbag: Standard in all models
Front Side Airbags: Standard in all models
SPECIFICATIONS (Mercedes-Benz
B200 2.0-litre five-door hatch)
ENGINE:
Capacity: 2.034 litres
Configuration: Four cylinders in line
Head Design: Two valves per cylinder
Compression Ratio: 11.0:1
Bore/Stroke: 83.0 x 94.0mm
Maximum Power: 100kW @ 5750rpm
Maximum Torque: 185Nm @ 3500-4000rpm
DRIVELINE:
Driven Wheels: Front
Manual Transmission: Five-speed
Automatic Transmission: Continuously variable
Final Drive Ratio: 3.72:1
DIMENSIONS, WEIGHT AND CAPACITIES:
Length: 4270mm
Wheelbase: 2778mm
Width: 1770mm
Height: 1604mm
Turning Circle: 11.95 metres
Kerb Mass: 1345kg
Fuel Tank Capacity: 60 litres
Towing Ability: Not supplied
SUSPENSION AND BRAKES:
Front Suspension: MacPherson struts, wishbones, coil springs,
torsion bar stabiliser
Rear Suspension: Parabolic rear axle, coil springs, torsion bar
stabiliser
Front Brakes: Ventilated disc
Rear Brakes: Disc
PERFORMANCE:
0-100 km/h Acceleration: 10.1 secs
Standing 400 Metres: 16.8 secs
FUEL CONSUMPTION:
Fuel Type: Petrol 98RON
Fuel Consumption - Combined Cycle (ADR 81/01): 7.4 L/100km
STANDARD WARRANTY:
Three years/unlimited km
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Marque Publishing Company
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