Mercedes-Benz B-Class 2008 review.
After three years, Mercedes-Benz has overhauled the design and engineering of the B-Class. The facelift programme focused on environmental compatibility, economic efficiency and comfort, with further advances being made in each of these areas. Thanks to a series of detailed improvements, the four-cylinder engines now burn up to seven percent less fuel than previously, and distinguish themselves with remarkably low exhaust emissions that undercut the current EU limits by as much as 90 percent. Mercedes-Benz has developed a new ECO start/stop function for the high-volume B 150 and B 170 models. This switches off the engine when stopped at traffic lights, for example, producing a fuel saving of up to nine percent in practical use. Additional new developments include active parking assist which helps drivers to both find a suitable parking spot, and then manoeuvre into it.
After three years, Mercedes-Benz has overhauled the design and engineering of the B-Class. The facelift programme focused on environmental compatibility, economic efficiency and comfort, with further advances being made in each of these areas. Thanks to a series of detailed improvements, the four-cylinder engines now burn up to seven percent less fuel than previously, and distinguish themselves with remarkably low exhaust emissions that undercut the current EU limits by as much as 90 percent. Mercedes-Benz has developed a new ECO start/stop function for the high-volume B 150 and B 170 models. This switches off the engine when stopped at traffic lights, for example, producing a fuel saving of up to nine percent in practical use. Additional new developments include active parking assist which helps drivers to both find a suitable parking spot, and then manoeuvre into it.
The Mercedes-Benz B-Class facelift measures at a glance
Design
Front end: restyled bonnet, radiator grille and bumper
Side profile: new-look exterior mirrors and new light-alloy wheels
Rear: tail lights in new high-brilliance look and remodelled bumper
Interior: new seat fabrics and diagonally brushed aluminium trim
Equipment
Body-coloured exterior mirror housings, door handles and skirt panels
Headlamp Assist as standard
ESP® with automatic hill-start assist as standard
Steering column manually adjustable for reach
Safety
Flashing brake lights as standard
Crash-responsive emergency interior lighting as standard
Drive system
Advanced engines with fuel savings of up to seven percent
ECO start/stop function as an option for B 150 and B 170
Technology
Active parking assist as an option
New infotainment systems including many extra functions
Surround sound system as an option
COMAND with standard features including voice control
Interactive media interface for linking up external audio devices
Since its market premiere in summer 2005, the B-Class has evolved into the blueprint for a new species of car which harmonises the benefits of various vehicle concepts: the four-door model boasts the dynamic design of a sporty saloon, the exterior dimensions of a compact car, the spaciousness of an estate, the versatility of a mini MPV and, of course, the trademark safety of a Mercedes-Benz.
The sales figures for the B-Class to date provide clear evidence that the Mercedes-Benz product planners hit the mark with a concept that caters to the motoring needs of today’s sophisticated society: since mid-2005, over 325,000 motorists around the world have been won over by the Sports Tourer.
The restyled front end injects the B-Class with even more poise and assurance than before. This is primarily down to the radiator grille with its three chromed cross fins painted in metallic grey and the Mercedes star integrated into its centre. However, the more imposing appearance of the B-Class also stems from the new-look bumper - whose design emphasises the large air intake at the bottom - as well as the modified bonnet.
Design: restyled front end creates a powerful presence
This new design idiom makes the front look broad and, as a consequence, especially powerful, symbolising the sporty attributes of the B-Class even more clearly than before. Aside from power and performance potential, these qualities include the car’s agility and its forwards thrust, something which is further underlined by the more pronounced arrow shape of the bonnet, radiator grille and bumper. This has the effect of making the entire front section appear to be surging dynamically forwards - a highly expressive styling element of the current Mercedes design idiom, which can be appreciated better than ever before in the 2008 model year version of the B-Class. The front end’s arrow shape is continued rearwards in the form of an understated but effective line running up the centre of the bonnet.
Typical distinguishing features of the current Mercedes style are also very much in evidence in the side profile of the B-Class, which presents a thrilling interplay between taut forms and crisp lines. Of particular note is the character line, which rises progressively from the front wing to the rear tail light, thereby marking an intriguing divide between the concave and convex-formed surfaces along the body’s flanks. This line furthermore underscores the body’s wedge-shaped form, and thereby gives added impact to the Sports Tourer’s athletic, powerful nature.
In the 2008 model year B-Class, the design at the sides seems even more harmonious and elegant than before because the exterior mirror housings, door handles and skirt panels are now painted to match the body colour on all model variants. The restyled hubcaps and light-alloy wheels add further touches of class to the exterior looks.
The rear styling picks up on the dynamic flow of lines at the front and along the sides. A direct visual link is created by the tail light assemblies, whose upper edges merge seamlessly with the character line along the vehicle’s sides. The tail lights sport a new high-brilliance look and draw the gaze to the large tailgate, which now comes with en ergonomically enhanced chrome handle strip. The rear bumper has been remodelled too, and includes a black-grained plastic insert on its upper face as standard which serves as a load sill guard. If the B-Class is specified with either the chrome or the sports package, this insert is made of polished stainless steel instead to add yet another gleaming highlight to the tail’s design.