Mercedes-benz B-class
The Age
Saturday May 24, 2008
THE car that is all things to all people, the Mercedes-Benz B-Class, has received major surgery and a minor facelift to freshen its all-rounder appeal.
A nip and tuck to tighten and accentuate the chin, a more defined grille and a taller hip line sweeping into a stylised and better-defined tail-light cluster sum up the extent of the exterior cosmetic changes.Inside, the changes are limited to revised upholstery fabric and the addition of brushed-aluminium highlights.The big news is under the bonnet, where Mercedes has found savings of up to 7% in fuel use across a range comprising two diesel and four petrol engines. Mercedes says one model, the diesel-driven B180 CDI, can travel 1000 kilometres on a single 54-litre tank.Later this year, the company will also roll out the B150 and B170 BlueEfficiency models in Europe featuring automatic engine shutdown, activated when the car is placed in neutral with the brake pedal depressed. Mercedes claims fuel savings of up to 9% in city driving.The new B-Class will arrive here in August. -- STEVE COLQUHOUN
© 2008 The Age