Pre-series prototype of "Vision B" was showed in 2004 on the Parisian motor show. Production version of the V-class was presented on the Geneva motor show of 2005. The 5-door hatchback takes place in firm hierarchy of Mercedes-Benz between A and C-classes. By the way, unlike an A-class which is issued as with three, and five doors, "B" is strictly five-door.
The V-class is the first serial version of the new Sports Tourer project which developed by Mercedes-Benz and has united advantages of various car concepts. As a result the car with original and independent character appeared: V-klass demonstrated such qualities as the big capacity, exclusive comfort, optimum functionality, elegant design and the highest pleasure from driving.
The model is designed on the increased platform of the A-class II and inherited all design features of "younger" model — the strengthened sandwich floor, McPherson racks in front and a dependent suspension bracket behind, shock-absorbers with electronic control by extent of damping. Dimensions of the car are 4270x1777x1604 mm. In comparison with "A-class" the B-class is 430 mm longer. Its wheel base – 2778 mm, 210 mm more. Length of a body corresponds to the sizes of a compact class. Thus the B-class surpasses automobile models comparable by the sizes in all internal dimensions essential to comfort, such as the internal width of a body at the level of shoulders of passengers, space for feet and distance from the head to an upholstery of a roof of a body.

Possibilities of transformation of salon and the net volume of the V-class are also beyond standard representations. The car can be ease transformed from comfortable tourist car into a practical minivan. It is possible to order quite rich opportunities for transformation of a back seat which can be put, cast away asymmetrically. Besides, for external payment the B-class model with removable forward seat is available. So the volume of a luggage carrier varies from 544 to 2245 liters that brings a B-class on transportation of goods to level of big "station wagons" — the maximum length of freight makes 2,95 meters. However, removable seats are put only by request. In the basic version buyers should be content with developing backs of back seats.

The style of B-class stands out by the design of its forward part – a wedge-shaped profile, the wide windshield, a dominating front grille with the stylized emblem of Mercedes-Benz, a wide bumper and expressional transparent headlights. The harmonious combination of all these elements gives the car the unique and dynamic appearance. The wedge-shaped silhouette, long wheel base and smoothly curved prompt contours of a roof add a sports tone to an exterior of the car. The back part is also impresses with a broad gage and convex wheel arches.
The sandwich technology, allowing to place the engine and a transmission in space before salon and under it, provides to the V-class capacious and spacious salon at the level of a sedan or the versatile person at compact external dimensions.

The palette of engines is various enough, the producer offers four petrol: 1,5 l. (95 h.p.); 1,7 l. (116 h.p.); 2 l. (136 h.p.) and for those who "loves the heating", the 2 l. turbo engine, with power of 142 kW (193 h.p.), and a torque — 280 Nanometers at 1800-4850 rpm. With the latest mentioned engine the car gains 100 km/h at 7,6 seconds, and the maximum speed makes 225 km/h.
And for practical people there is a choice from two models equipped with diesel engines. The most powerful diesel is 2-liter 140-strong. It accelerates the car to 100 km/h at 9,6 seconds. The maximum speed of the car, with such motor, exceeds 200 km/h, but despite such excellent dynamic properties fuel consumption makes only 5,6 l on 100 km. The second turbodiesel of 1,8 liters has the power of 109 h.p. and consumes only 6,2 l of fuel on 100 km at a driving on city jams.
Diesel models of B-Class meet the requirements of limit parameters of the directive EU-4 even without the black filter. As the additional equipment Mercedes-Benz offers the system of filters which is in addition reducing emission of particles of soot not demanding leaving.
Both diesel versions and top petrol modification are serially equipped with a six-speed manual transmission. On the others put the five-step. By request an automatic box of Autotronic is available.
The interior design also meets the requirements of high standards of automobile brand from Stuttgart. The conditioner, electro window regulators, radio tape recorder, steering wheel with multipurpose buttons, electronic system of stabilization of the movement ESP, ABS and a new auxiliary control system of STEER CONTROL are also contained in standard configuration.
Optionally DVD-navigation system is available. You can also order turn-signal lamps, upgraded audio system with the fanction of surround sound, Thermotronic climate-control system and side air bags for back passengers. But the most attractive detail is movable hatch occupying the half of the roof. It consists of several plates of transparent plastic. Instead of the hatch it is possible to order simply transparent roof.
Mercedes-Benz of B-class got the highest marks in European crash-tests trials EuroNCAP.
Good results in tests for safety are reached in many respects at the expense of application the concept of a double floor of Sandwich in a body design of the car. The double floor considerably increases passive safety of the car and makes a B-class to be one of the leaders of safety in the segment. The model is equipped with adaptive forward safety cushions, active head restraints, fastening system for children's seats of ISOFIX and special safety cushions for protection of area of a neck.

In 2008 slightly updated B-class appeared. There were turn repeaters on the rear-view windows, new bumper behind and new light units. Radiator grill was replaced by new one. Besides, the B-class got new design of a cowl and rims.
The list of standard equipment was considerably expanded. Cases of lateral mirrors and the door handles painted in color of a body, system of automatic inclusion of headlights, electronic system of stabilization of movement (ESP) with antiretractable function, and also a steering column with adjustment on height were included in standard configuration. There were new materials of upholstery of seats.
From the technical innovations concerning safety, it is necessary to allocate the adaptive lamps of stoplights starting intensively to blink at emergency braking, and a salon emergency lighting system which at road accident automatically turns on the light in the car.
Compact-van B-class debuted in 2011 on the Frankfurt Motor Show. Besides upgraded appearance the car got increased space of the salon and new engines.
The car became 102 millimeters longer, 9 millimeters wider and is 46 millimeters lower than the predecessor. Length of new Mercedes B-Class makes 4359 mm, width – 1786 mm, height – 1 557 mm. The road gleam was also decreased: new B-Class became nearly 5 cm lower. At the expense of refusal of a modular "sandwich" platform, engineers managed to lower the novelty center of gravity by 20 mm. Compact-van also received newly developed back multilever suspension bracket.
The design was changed forward to sport style. The design changed in the sports party. The car received wide and large headlights, the front grille was increased. According to representatives of Mercede-Benz, this generation possesses one of the best indicators of aerodynamic resistance in the class — 0,26, and on some elements of a weather-cloth (for example, small spoilers in wheel arches), allowing to lower this indicator.
The salon of the compact-van was changed sufficiently. Interior space was increased, the quality of trim was improved. Salon height (in the version without a glass moving roof) makes 1047 millimeters, height of seats concerning the road for simplification of landing disembarkation decreased by 86 millimeters, and the size of free space on back to a row of chairs surpasses a similar indicator even at S-and E-Class cars and reaches 976 millimeters.
The volume of a luggage carrier makes 488 liters, but, thanks to Easy-Vario-Plus system (opition), allowing to move seats of the second row forward-back in the range of 140 mm, the volume of a luggage carrier can be increased to 666 liters, and also gives opportunity to put a forward passenger chair for transportation of large-size things.
The scale of B-Class engines will include the 1,6 liters new four-cylinder petrol engines equipped with direct injection of BlueDIRECT fuel with pressure of injection of 200 bars. More high pressure provides thinner dispersion and, respectively, more effective combustion. This technology was applied earlier only on more powerful V6 and V8 motors.
On modification B 180 the new motor will develop 122 horsepowers, and on B 200 – 156 horsepowers. The maximum torque of these engines — 200 and 250 Nanometers respectively which is available from 1250 revolutions per minute. On diesel Mercedes B 180 CDI the unit develops 109 h.p. and the peak moment in 250 Nanometers, and more powerful B 200 CDI has at the disposal of 136 "horses" and 300 Nanometers of a torque. The modernized six-step mechanical box, or the new seven-step robot 7G-DCT will be available to all engines with two couplings.
Certainly, a set of various systems of safety was applied. Mercedes B-Class 2012 is equipped with the preventive PRE-SAFE system, urged to prevent collisions, system of tracking "dead" zones and crossing of a continuous strip of a marking, system of recognition of road signs, a rear-view camera, adaptive head optics and help system at a parking.
Review for Go Motors