The Mercedes-Benz B-Class is a subcompact executive car made since 2005. Based on the A-Class but larger, it is classified by Euro NCAP as a small MPV.
Mercedes-Benz B-Class at a glance
| First generation | W245, early 2005 |
|---|---|
| Second generation | W246, 2011 |
| Third generation | W247, 2018 |
| Layout | front-wheel drive, sandwich floor |
| Concept car | Vision B Compact Sports Tourer, Paris 2004 |
| Facelift of the W245 | 2008, with start-stop and BlueEFFICIENCY |
| Natural-gas version | B 170 NGT |
| MFA platform | first used by the W246 in 2011 |
| Electric version | B-Class Electric Drive, 2013, later B 250e |
| Sales | one million by 20 December 2013 |
This article is based on one source, the English Wikipedia article on the Mercedes-Benz B-Class. Free photographs of the B-Class were not available, so the record keeps its earlier picture.
History of the Mercedes-Benz B-Class
Mercedes-Benz showed the Vision B Compact Sports Tourer at the 2004 Paris Motor Show, previewing the production car. The first B-Class, coded W245, went on sale in Europe and Australia in early 2005 and in Canada later that year. It was not sold in the United States, where it could not be priced to make a profit. Like the smaller A-Class it used front-wheel drive and a sandwich floor, with the engine and transmission sliding beneath the passenger compartment in a frontal impact, and it made the most of its height to give a large interior.
All models had ESP, ABS, traction control, cornering lights and headlamp assist. In 2008 the car was updated with a start-stop system and a BlueEFFICIENCY option, and a natural-gas B 170 NGT joined the range. In 2011 one of the B-Class F-Cell hydrogen cars took part in a world tour that covered more than 30,000 km and started and ended in Stuttgart. By 20 December 2013 one million B-Class cars had been delivered worldwide.
The second generation, W246, was revealed in August 2011 and shown at the Frankfurt motor show in September. It was the first car on the MFA platform, came with a six-speed manual or seven-speed 7G-Tronic automatic and had start-stop as standard; production began at Rastatt in November 2011. It offered seven to nine airbags, hill-start assist, drowsiness detection, tyre pressure monitoring and Pre-Safe. An electric B-Class Electric Drive was introduced in the United States in December 2013 as a 2014 model, later renamed B 250e. The third generation, W247, was launched at the Paris Motor Show on 2 October 2018 with the MBUX system and, from 2022, a facelift that dropped the manual gearbox and added a 48-volt mild hybrid system.
Design and features
- Sandwich floor: inherited from the A-Class, with the engine designed to slide under the cabin in a crash.
- Tall body: a two-box shape that maximises interior volume.
- Safety equipment: ESP, ABS, cornering lights and later Pre-Safe and drowsiness detection.
- Alternative power: natural gas, hydrogen fuel cell and battery-electric versions.
Mercedes-Benz B-Class versions
- W245 (2005–2011): first generation, with a 2008 facelift.
- B 170 NGT: petrol or natural gas.
- W246 (2011): second generation on the MFA platform.
- B-Class Electric Drive (2013): battery-electric model, later B 250e.
- W247 (2018): third generation with MBUX.
- Plug-in hybrid (W247): 10.9 kWh battery and 66 km WLTP range.
The B-Class is based on the A-Class and shares its hydrogen technology with the F-Cell. More in the Mercedes-Benz collection.
Video: Mercedes Benz B 200 used car check
Video by YouTube on YouTube.
Sources
- Mercedes-Benz B-Class, English Wikipedia: generations, platform, safety, sales
