Mercedes-Benz has unveiled the facelifted version of its B-Class, which is set for a public debut next month at the Paris motor show. Styling updates are relatively simple with a redesigned front bumper featuring bigger air ducts, a wider grille with two louvres with integrated daytime running lights (DRL) that are now incorporated into the head light assembly.
The inclusion of LED High Performance headlamps and a refreshed rear bumper - which features an additional chrome strip, complete the exterior enhancements. The highlights of the LED High Performance lighting system are wider beam patterns and a colour similar to daylight, which in turn increases safety at night. Bicolour LED tail lights help make the car stand out further in low-light conditions.
If you're wondering about the blue-tinged LED DRLs, they are actually a form of "welcome light", which illuminates for roughly three seconds after the car is unlocked. Once the car gets moving, they revert back to their normal white hue.
Not all models in the new range get the same front design treatment, though. The B-Class Electric Drive and Natural Gas Drive variants continue to soldier on with the same front design - only receiving the new look when it comes to the rear of the car.
As part of the facelift, Mercedes-Benz has streamlined the B-class into three design and equipment styles - Style, Urban and AMG Line. The Style line features the grille with its two louvres painted in iridium silver with chrome inserts with additional chrome trim strips around the car. The interior comes with Vianen fabric on the seats with the steering wheel, highlights on the gear lever and the switches being decked out with silver chrome accents.
The Urban line features 5-spoke alloy wheels and twin exhaust pipes integrated into the rear bumper. Interior wise, the seats are now covered in a combination of Artico man-made leather and Montfoort fabric. A leather steering wheel with perforated grips, contrasting top stitching and silver chrome accents and sail pattern trim finish off the look.
As for the AMG Line, wheel sizes are now up to 18 inches, which feature a 5-twin-spoke design. The front brakes are also upgraded with perforated discs and brake calipers which include the Mercedes-Benz lettering. Step inside and you'll find that the seats are now covered in a combination of Artico man-made leather and Dinamica micro-fibre. The steering wheel now features a flat-bottom design as well as a gear lever with perforated leather. Red contrasting top stitching along the armrests, centre console and seats are coupled to stainless steel sports pedals for a more performance-oriented atmosphere.
Changes on the interior include a new 8-inch head unit display - similar to the recently facelifted CLS, and a choice of 12 colours for the ambient lighting. In addition to the new head unit display, the B-class features the latest "Mercedes connect me" telematics system. Among the services included are accident recovery capability, service maintenance notifications and incident management.
In the event of an accident, the system is able to automatically connect occupants to the Mercedes-Benz Emergency Call Centre and send the coordinates of the accident scene, to which a rescue vehicle will be dispatched to. Customers can also connect to the car remotely by using the Remote Online system and logging on via the URL "connect.mercedes.me".
Other features include Keyless-Go - which allows one to lock, unlock and start the car without having the key in your hands. Collision Prevention Assist Plus provides autonomous partial braking to avoid collisions and the Attention Assist feature has now been upgraded to an operating speed range of 60 km/h to 200 km/h.
Engine options range from four diesel-powered variants, five petrol-powered variants and two with alternative drive systems. The base petrol model, the B 180, is an inline-four unit that produces 122 hp and 200 Nm of torque, giving it a 0-100 km/h time of 9.2 seconds with the 7G-DCT dual-clutch transmission.
The current variant available locally, the B 200, comes with the same engine configuration but with a higher state of tune. It produces 156 hp and 250 Nm of torque, enabling a 0-100 km/h time of 8.4 seconds with the 7G-DCT gearbox. The most powerful petrol variant, the B 250, is available with 4MATIC, an all-wheel drive system, and comes standard with the 7G-DCT transmission. Figures include a 211 hp rating and a torque figure of 350 Nm.
As for the diesel range, the base engine, found in the B 160 CDI, produces 90 hp and 240 Nm of torque with a 0-100 km/h time of 14.3 seconds with the 7G-DCT gearbox. The most powerful diesel variant, the B 220 CDI, comes with the 7G-DCT gearbox as standard as 4MATIC as an option. Producing 177 hp and 350 Nm of torque, it gets from 0-100 km/h in 8.3 seconds.
As for the two models powered by alternative sources, the range now includes the B 200 Natural Gas Drive and the B-Class Electric Drive. In the natural gas variant, a 14-litre petrol tank is paired to one large and two smaller gas tanks packaged into the underbody. A lithium-ion battery can be found there in place of the tanks in the electric version.
So while we wait for the car to make its official debut next month, what do you guys think of this facelift in regards to its predecessor and its main rivals, the BMW 2 Series Active Tourer and the Volkswagen Golf Sportsvan?
No comments:
Post a Comment