Mercedes Benz B Class Now Crusher Than Ever

Mercedes-Benz’s all-new Sport Tourer offers even more comfort and refinement than its predecessor.

Close on the heels of the all-new A-Class which Mercedes unveiled last year is, predictably, an all-new B-Class.

The new iteration of Mercedes’ five-seater mini-MPV (or Sport Tourer, as they prefer to call it) looks like what it is, an A-Class hatch which has been hit by an enlarging ray.

Reflecting its more family oriented focus (think of it as an A-Class with a dad bod) it also looks rounder and cuddlier than its smaller sibling.

Still, it is sleeker than its boxy predecessor, thanks to a 4mm lower roofline and a slight stretch to both body length (by 26mm) and wheelbase (by 30mm).

Mercedes says that it wanted to make the new model sportier-looking and less utilitarian than before, and to that end it has succeeded. With a class-leading drag coefficient of 0.24, the new car is also more slippery than before.

Sector-wise, its direct rivals are other five-seater MPVs like the BMW 2 Series Sport Turismo, VW Golf Sportsvan and Renault Scenic, although the Mercedes is a considerably more premium product than the latter duo (and is priced accordingly).

Given the people-carrying priorities of this sector, the cabin of the B-Class is appropriately bright and airy, thanks partly to a beltline lowered by 5mm.

Space inside is ample, with elbow room increased by up to 33mm even though the car’s body itself is only 10mm wider than before, and a touch more headroom despite that slightly lower roofline.

There is legroom to stretch at the back, the boot is capacious and well-shaped (albeit slightly smaller than before), and there are multiple storage options all around the cabin.

There will also be the option of sliding rear seats (with 14cm of travel), making it possible to increase boot space when needed, by over 50%.