First Drive: 2012 Mercedes-Benz B-Class European Spec

Is a compact hatch too small for you, but a crossover too large? Have no fear, my spatially challenged friends. The 2012 Mercedes-Benz B-Class has been designed with your exact predicament in mind. It's being billed by Benz as a premium compact car that puts practicality first, and it's coming to the U.S. next year. When Mercedes says this car is all-new, it's not messing around - the B-Class features the largest amount of changed parts of any replacement model the German manufacturer has ever introduced. There are new four-cylinder gas and diesel engines, a revised seven-speed dual clutch gearbox, and stacks of new safety kit. More important than all that, though, is the B-Class' new front-drive platform - the same chassis that will underpin the new A-Class, a small SUV, a baby CLS four-door coupe, and a mystery fifth model. So it had better be good.

It's on the inside where the B-Class really ups its game. The seats slide and fold in a variety of ways, allowing you to easily cram in your particular combination of passengers and cargo, while the dash layout and materials are superb. SLS-inspired vents, made from solid chunks of metal, dominate the view, followed closely by a permanent tablet-style screen that rises out of the dash. Shell out a couple of thousand dollars and Mercedes will even hook it up with a 3G Internet connection.

Topping the completely new engine lineup is a 1.6-liter direct-injection turbocharged gasoline engine available with either 122 hp in the B180 or 156 hp in the B200. That might not sound like premium levels of power, but hold on to a gear, rev it toward redline, and there's plenty of shove for overtaking and maintaining your speed on the freeway - especially in the B200. All too often, though, the turbo was caught off-boost, at which point the engine bogged down and forced us reach for a lower gear or sit patiently, waiting for the turbo to spool up. It made the B-Class feel bigger, heavier, and more cumbersome than it is.

There was no such problem with the diesel engines. Both are 1.8-liter units derived from the 2.1-liter diesel engine found in the C-Class and E-Class, but modified with a shorter stroke. Available with either 109 hp in the B180 CDI or 136 hp in the B200 CDI, the extra torque meant throttle response was more instant and the engine was happier to be left in a higher gear. There's huge fuel efficiency gains too, of up to 21 percent compared to the outgoing car, helped by the addition of stop-start to every model in the range.

It's a curious mix, the Mercedes B-Class. When you consider the affluent families it's aimed at, the combination of an understated exterior, high-quality interior, and impressive functionality is well-judged. Drive it in isolation, though, and you can't help wishing it had a little more to offer dynamically. But considering the badge on the hood and the fact that it has no direct premium rivals, it's hard not to see flush families snapping up the B-Class.

2012 Mercedes-Benz B-Class European Spec Front-engine, FWD, 5-pass, 5-door, hatchback 1.6L/122-hp or 156-hp, four-cylinder turbo gasoline and 1.8L/109-hp or 136-hp, four-cylinder turbodiesel 6-speed manual or seven-speed twin-clutch auto

View the original article here