Mercedes B-Class review, test drive
The sports kit no doubt adds to the ground-hugging looks of the B-class, but look past the eye candy and you’ll see what looks like a shrunken R-class. There’s that low bonnet, steeply raked windshield and high roofline, and despite the unusual shape, it won’t take long for even untrained eyes to tell it’s a Benz. Every current Merc styling cue is present – the oversized grille with the huge three-pointed star in the centre, the clamshell bonnet and the bumper with its integrated LED lamps all point to Stuttgart.
Viewed in profile, your eyes are drawn to the sharp upswept kink that runs along the flanks and the unusually long space between the front and rear axles – yes, the wheelbase is a massive 2699mm. The rear is pure Merc too – it’s the most uncomplicated part of the design. Also impressive is the extremely slippery shape – the B-class’ drag coefficient is a low 0.26.
Under the skin, the new B-class (W246) retains its predecessor’s - the W245’s - front-wheel-drive architecture, but ditches the old car’s complex and expensive ‘sandwich structure’ chassis for a more conventional monocoque. The advantages of the less complicated setup (aside from a cut in manufacturing costs) are a liberation of interior space and lower seats that are easier to slide into.
Not that the B-class is very tall – with its 1557mm height, it fits in somewhere between a soft-roader and a saloon. The suspension is independent all round, with a MacPherson strut, wishbone setup up front and a four-link, wishbone setup at the rear. Brakes are discs all around and the steering is an electrically assisted rack-and-pinion system. The spare wheel is an inflatable space-saver and the B-class comes with an electric tyre inflator. All in all, the B180 weighs a hefty 1425kg.
Performance
The engine in the B180 is from an all-new engine family (engine code: M270). It’s an all-aluminium 1.6-litre turbocharged, direct-injection petrol engine that sits transversely over the front axle. The direct-injection system runs a pressure of 200bar and uses piezo injectors that handle upto five injections per cycle. The engine weighs just 137kg and part of this weight saving is down to the hollow crankshaft.
The B-class always starts in Eco mode, and that means the seven-speed auto upshifts early and the quick-acting stop-start system is eager to cut in every time you come to a stop at a red light.
To get the best out of the engine, you need to switch Eco mode off, put the transmission in manual mode and use the well-finished paddles behind the steering wheel. Do so and it will hit 100kph in 10.2sec and will go on to a top speed of 192kph – very impressive figures for a car that weighs over 1.4 tonnes and makes a modest 121bhp.
Around town, the engine is smooth and adequately responsive. The specs say the peak torque of 20.39kgm kicks in at 1250rpm, but the real grunt is only when the engine is spinning closer to 3000rpm. In fact, the mid-range is particularly punchy and the engine pulls strongly all the way to 5000rpm. Rev it past this and it does get a tad vocal, and it isn’t particularly enthusiastic near its 6300rpm redline. You sometimes wish it had a little more low-rev grunt – the transmission doesn’t downshift readily and you have to occasionally force it to do so by hitting the kickdown switch.
This being a Merc, the seven-speed, twin-clutch gearbox doesn’t have the jerkiness usually associated with this kind of transmission. Set the gearbox in Economy mode and it will shift up smoothly and early in the rev range, and will mostly disobey commands from the paddle-shifters. In Sport and Manual modes you get more control through the paddles and it’s fairly responsive and quick acting.
The B-class is a pretty good cruiser too and, again, there’s always sufficient grunt for highway duties. Overtaking is quite easy thanks to the strong mid-range and this makes the B 180 feel even quicker than it actually is.
Fuel Economy
The B-class’ quick-to-cut-in stop-start function and Eco mode help its fuel economy in the city. We got an absolutely decent 9.5kpl. Its slippery shape and low drag coefficient helped it return 14.2kpl on the highway.
What it costs
| Ex-showroom (Delhi) | Rs 21.49 - 24.87 lakhs |
Engine
| Fuel | Petrol |
| Installation | Front, transverse |
| Type | 4 cyls in-line, 1595cc |
| Bore/stroke | 83/73.7mm |
| Compression ratio | 10.3:1 |
| Valve gear | 4 valves per cyl, DOHC |
| Power | 121bhp @ 5000rpm |
| Torque | 20.39kgm @ 1250-4000 |
| Power to weight | 84.91bhp per tonne |
| Torque to weight | 14.3kgm per tonne |
Transmission
| Type | Automatic |
| Gearbox | Seven-speed |
Dimensions
| Length | 4359mm |
| Width | 1786mm |
| Height | 1557mm |
| Wheel base | 2699mm |
| Boot volume | 486 - 1545 litres |
Chassis & Body
| Construction | Five-door, monocoque, hatchback |
| Weight | 1425kg |
| Tyres | 205/55 R16, 225/45 R17 |
| Spare | Space saver |
Suspension
| Front | Independent, MacPherson struts. wishbone |
| Rear | Independent, multi-link, wishbone |
Steering
| Type | Rack and Pinion |
| Type of power assist | Electric |
| Turning circle | 11.0m |
Brakes
| Front | Ventilated Discs |
| Rear | Solid Discs |
| Anti-lock | Yes |
Performance
| 0-20 | 1.20 |
| 0-40 | 2.54 |
| 0-60 | 4.53 |
| 0-80 | 7.08 |
| 0-100 | 10.2 |
| 0-120 | 14.48 |
| 0-140 | 19.80 |
| 0-160 | 28.02 |
| 0-180 | 39.55 |
Economy
| City | 9.5kpl |
| Highway | 14.2kpl |
| Tank size | 50 litres |
Range at a glance - Engines
| Petrol | 1.6-litre petrol, 121bhp |
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