The all-new Mercedes-Benz B-Class was unveiled recently, and it does look pretty good. There's lots of space for passengers and cargo. Here's some history. According to the press info, Mercedes-Benz introduced the B-Class compact tourer 14 years ago as part of a new segment of vehicles that cater to the younger market. Since then, Mercedes-Benz has created a line of new-generation vehicles such as the A-Class, B-Class, CLA and GLA that are meant to appeal to a new generation of car owners.
Before we dive in, here's some more info about the B-Class:
Exterior
The new B-Class has “redefined its relaxed and practical look with a sportier profile without sacrificing space or user value.” Dubbed as a small multi-purpose vehicle, one of the main highlights of the new B-Class is its spacious interior and cabin. The press info says that traditionally, the B-Class is the ideal family car because of its emphasis on “space, comfort, and safety.”
Interior
The new B-Class offers increased interior dimensions over its predecessor, offering more headroom, elbowroom in both the front and the rear. The seats are also more elevated to a more level position making it more comfortable to sit in the vehicle. The five round air vents feature a “high-grade turbine look with finely styled air ducts, inspired by the world of aviation.”
The most striking thing about the interior, though, has to be the dashboard. It uses the Mercedes-Benz User Experience (MBUX), shared with its sibling, the A-Class.
The MBUX system is a virtual assistant, which is activated by pressing a button on the steering wheel or by simply saying, “Hey, Mercedes.” Kind of like Apple's Siri. MBUX comes with a natural speech recognition program that helps it to recognize and understand nearly all sentences from the fields of multimedia and vehicle operation.
The MBUX feature is paired with a massive 7.4-inch touchscreen display.
The new B-Class has a through-loading capability for longer luggage, thanks to its 40/40/20 lay-fold rear seat.
Engine
Under the hood is an inline-four gasoline engine mated to 7-speed dual-clutch transmission. You get 136hp and 200Nm of torque.
Safety features
The B-Class has active safety features which are available S-Class. It has Active Brake Assist as a standard, which, depending on the situation, can effectively mitigate the rear-end collisions with slower-moving, stopping or stationary vehicles ahead, and even with crossing pedestrians and cyclists. The tech is pretty cool. According to the release, “if the distance drops significantly below the safety threshold, the system issues a visual warning to the driver. If it detects a serious risk of collision, the driver receives an additional, audible warning. It also computes the brake pressure required to prevent a collision, if this is still possible.”
If, having been warned, the driver then steps on the brake pedal, the system is capable of boosting insufficient braking pressure in line with the needs of the situation. In so doing “it makes the best possible use of the remaining distance in order to leave the vehicles behind room to brake.” If the driver fails to respond, Active Brake Assist can go one step further and brake autonomously if the danger of a collision persists.
There's also Attention Assist with adjustable sensitivity, which can warn the driver of his inattentiveness and drowsiness. Airbags for driver and front passenger, including windowbags and kneebag for the driver, as well as ISOFIX child-seat mounts and TopTether attachment points in the rear backrest, plus a host of other safety features, are included.
Price
The new Mercedes-Benz B-Class is priced at P2,690,000.
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