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
Showing posts with label European. Show all posts
Showing posts with label European. Show all posts
Saturday, 29 October 2011
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 
Sunday, 17 July 2011
First Drive: 2011 Aston Martin Cygnet (European Spec)
There's Sense to This Car - No, Really
For Aston Martin to build a city car is quite a step. For Aston Martin to re-skin the Toyota iQ is a galactic leap. In Britain and the United States, the idea stirred up a storm on enthusiast forums. Calm down, everyone -- there's sense to the idea. In Europe's city centers, congestion has a whole different meaning than in the U.S. It's not just traffic. The streets were laid down centuries before the automobile was invented. They're a narrow maze of tightly angled junctions, lined with obstructions, and awash with pedestrians. A standard delineated parking spot is about 185 inches long, but many unmarked curbside spaces are smaller. So across the Atlantic, owning a small car isn't just a money-saver. It can be an actual luxury. Driving is easier, and you can more easily squeeze into a parking space. The rich cherish those assets as much as the rest of us. It's not uncommon in London, Paris, or Rome to see Brabus-trimmed versions of the Smart that doubles that car's base price. The Aston Martin Cygnet can multiply the 1.3-liter iQ's entry price by a factor of three, without any mechanical changes. That means it's similar in price to a seriously optioned Mini Cooper S John Cooper Works.
It does have bespoke Aston panels, except for the roof, and the interior is upholstered by Aston's artisans. The metalwork, from the radiator grille to the finishers around the transmission lever, is lovely solid sculpture. Many Cygnet buyers already own Aston's other models; they tend to get their Cygnets built in a color scheme to match. And many One-77 buyers are ordering up to four coordinated Cygnets. So if forum trolls think the Cygnet is heresy, many actual Aston owners disagree. They're fed up with trying to thread their long-nosed, small-windowed GTs through tight streets. Performance in this environment isn't about 500-odd horsepower; it's more about rapid parking. A 121-inch overall length allows owners to do that.
Get a free and easy new car price quote in minutes.
For Aston Martin to build a city car is quite a step. For Aston Martin to re-skin the Toyota iQ is a galactic leap. In Britain and the United States, the idea stirred up a storm on enthusiast forums. Calm down, everyone -- there's sense to the idea. In Europe's city centers, congestion has a whole different meaning than in the U.S. It's not just traffic. The streets were laid down centuries before the automobile was invented. They're a narrow maze of tightly angled junctions, lined with obstructions, and awash with pedestrians. A standard delineated parking spot is about 185 inches long, but many unmarked curbside spaces are smaller. So across the Atlantic, owning a small car isn't just a money-saver. It can be an actual luxury. Driving is easier, and you can more easily squeeze into a parking space. The rich cherish those assets as much as the rest of us. It's not uncommon in London, Paris, or Rome to see Brabus-trimmed versions of the Smart that doubles that car's base price. The Aston Martin Cygnet can multiply the 1.3-liter iQ's entry price by a factor of three, without any mechanical changes. That means it's similar in price to a seriously optioned Mini Cooper S John Cooper Works. It does have bespoke Aston panels, except for the roof, and the interior is upholstered by Aston's artisans. The metalwork, from the radiator grille to the finishers around the transmission lever, is lovely solid sculpture. Many Cygnet buyers already own Aston's other models; they tend to get their Cygnets built in a color scheme to match. And many One-77 buyers are ordering up to four coordinated Cygnets. So if forum trolls think the Cygnet is heresy, many actual Aston owners disagree. They're fed up with trying to thread their long-nosed, small-windowed GTs through tight streets. Performance in this environment isn't about 500-odd horsepower; it's more about rapid parking. A 121-inch overall length allows owners to do that.Get a free and easy new car price quote in minutes.
Thursday, 26 May 2011
Wednesday, 18 May 2011
First Drive: 2012 Maserati GranTurismo MC Stradale (European Spec)
Hard-Edged GranTurismo is a Mighty Fine Handler -- For a Four-Seater
At the recent 2011 New York Auto Show, Maserati launched the hard-edged GranTurismo MC Stradale for America. At first glance, it looked just like the car the Italian automaker launched in the rest of the world a couple months back. But upon further inspection, the U.S.-spec MC doesn't have the idiotic interior arrangements of the global MC Stradale. It doesn't have a rollcage that precludes use of the back seats - that is, if there were any back seats, because they, too, have been removed. It's also missing the daft four-point harnesses that take ages to fasten and prevent you from reaching out to pay tolls.
Let's face it, these quasi-race items are pointless. MC might stand for Maserati Corse [Racing], but if you wanted a track-day car, you wouldn't start out with a 4000-pound machine on a 116-inch wheelbase. The GranTurismo handles mighty fine for a four-seater. But on track days, you don't want any 'for a...' provisos. You want a fine-handling car, period. For circuit use you'd go for a natural-born two seater, not a bigger car that's lost its back chairs to a roll cage. 
Further inspection reveals the American MC also lacks a lot of the other features that make the global MC Stradale so darned wonderful. Sure, it has all the aerodynamic changes, but they really only enhance stability at U.S. road-irrelevant speeds. It has the newly revised 444-hp engine. But that's only a scant 10 hp up on the existing GranTurismo S. The U.S. model sadly has a six-speed front-mounted slush autobox, rather than the global MC Stradale's quick-shifting six-speed AMT rear transaxle, to the detriment of performance, weight, and weight distribution. Our MC also lacks their MC Stradale's carbon ceramic brakes. And it's a couple hundred pounds heavier.OK, how and why is the global MC so great? What are we missing here?Body Style: Convertible, CoupeMotor Trend Rating: 
At the recent 2011 New York Auto Show, Maserati launched the hard-edged GranTurismo MC Stradale for America. At first glance, it looked just like the car the Italian automaker launched in the rest of the world a couple months back. But upon further inspection, the U.S.-spec MC doesn't have the idiotic interior arrangements of the global MC Stradale. It doesn't have a rollcage that precludes use of the back seats - that is, if there were any back seats, because they, too, have been removed. It's also missing the daft four-point harnesses that take ages to fasten and prevent you from reaching out to pay tolls. Let's face it, these quasi-race items are pointless. MC might stand for Maserati Corse [Racing], but if you wanted a track-day car, you wouldn't start out with a 4000-pound machine on a 116-inch wheelbase. The GranTurismo handles mighty fine for a four-seater. But on track days, you don't want any 'for a...' provisos. You want a fine-handling car, period. For circuit use you'd go for a natural-born two seater, not a bigger car that's lost its back chairs to a roll cage. Further inspection reveals the American MC also lacks a lot of the other features that make the global MC Stradale so darned wonderful. Sure, it has all the aerodynamic changes, but they really only enhance stability at U.S. road-irrelevant speeds. It has the newly revised 444-hp engine. But that's only a scant 10 hp up on the existing GranTurismo S. The U.S. model sadly has a six-speed front-mounted slush autobox, rather than the global MC Stradale's quick-shifting six-speed AMT rear transaxle, to the detriment of performance, weight, and weight distribution. Our MC also lacks their MC Stradale's carbon ceramic brakes. And it's a couple hundred pounds heavier.OK, how and why is the global MC so great? What are we missing here?Body Style: Convertible, CoupeMotor Trend Rating:
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