In contrast to the futuristic, otherworldly details of the F-125!, the Mercedes-Benz B-Class makes a here-and-now statement about the present. The sheetmetal language that Benz has been rolling out for years finally makes its debut at the B-Class party, in hopes of proving that a stubby hatch doesn’t need to look exactly like a stubby hatch. Mercedes also claims the aerodynamics “set a new benchmark in the segment.”
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Motive effort comes courtesy of a new pair of direct-injection gasoline engines, that technology also gaining entry to the B-Class segment for the first time. The 1.6-liter B180 will have 122 horsepower and 148 pound-feet of torque, the B200 will put out 156 hp and 183 lb-ft, those torque figures coming from 1,250 rpm. A 1.8-liter and common-rail diesel and rounds out the options, coming in 109 hp/183 lb-ft and 136 hp/221 lb-ft flavors. Transmissions will be either a 7G-DCT dual-clutch or a six-speed manual.
Piling more firsts into the slight package, the B-Class will get safety systems like Pre-Safe, Blind Spot and Lane Keeing Assist, and Distronic Plus, among others. We won’t know for another couple of years if this is enough to make the B-Class a viable option for American audiences, but for Europeans the changes should make the popular little car even more popularizer.
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