Mercedes-Benz B-Class

The second generation Mercedes-Benz B-Class arrived in April 2012 and was charged with reinvigorating the German marque’s small car fortunes in Australia.

The new B-Class maintained the same tall, boxy shape of the original, but to appeal to more buyers in the premium small car segment, the company cut the price of some variants.

The B-Class came in three specifications, entry-level B180, B200 petrol and B200 CDI diesel.

Kicking off the range, the B180 was powered by a 1.6-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine that produced 90kW of power and was good for a claimed 6.1 litres per 100km on the combined cycle.

The same engine was used in the B200 but was modified to produce 115kW while still producing the same fuel consumption figures as the B180.

Topping the range, the B200 CDI got an all-new 1.8-litre turbo diesel, capable of 100kW and with a claimed consumption of 4.7L/100km.

Mercedes-Benz claimed the 2012 B-Class had better dynamics than its predecessor thanks to an all-new chassis and suspension system and sharper steering courtesy of the electromechanical power steering.

The B-Class was awarded 36.78 out of a possible 37 points for a five-star rating in the Australasian New Car Assessment Program (ANCAP) test in May 2012. At the time of testing, it was the highest crash test score ever recorded by ANCAP.

Standard equipment across the range included a multi-function steering wheel, MP3 sound system with 14.7cm colour display, Bluetooth audio and phone streaming, iPod media device integration, rain-sensing wipers, a retractable load cover, 16-inch 10-spoke alloy wheels, parking sensors, cruise control and LED daytime-running lights.