Mercedes - B Class Euro NCAP - 5 STAR
Sporty drive, muscular engines, high levels of comfort and plenty of space - the Mercedes B Class sports tourer has it all.
You'd be hard pushed to find a car at this price with so much rear legroom. The boot is big, and combined with a highly flexible cabin you can create a huge load bay. Removable seats are optional, but with this much space, why bother?
Winner of the prestigious Whatcar? 2007 Safety Award, it is not perhaps surprising NCAP gave the Mercedes Benz B Class a top 5 star safety rating. and scored it four stars for child protection. All cars are fitted with ESP (electronic stability programme), front, side and curtain airbags, alarm, electronic anti-skid and anti-lock braking systems, active head restraints and clever seatbelts as standard. The 'sandwich floor' pays dividends in a front-end crash - the engine slides underneath the passengers.
Available in Standard, SE and Turbo versions each has a good range of standard equipment. Standard cars come with electric front windows and door mirrors, air conditioning, two-level luggage compartment floor, folding rear seats with removable seat cushions, and seatbelt reminders. SE models get electric rear windows, 16 inch alloys, colour-coded door handles and mirrors, chrome highlights, leather-trimmed steering wheel, automatic headlights and rain-sensing windscreen wipers. The B200 Turbo has a different grille design, 18-inch alloy wheels, ,sports suspension,
white illumination instrument panel and sports pedals.
Engines extend from the 95bhp 1.5-litre to the 2.0-litre engine in the B200 Turbo providing 193bhp and 0-62mph in 7.6 seconds. Five-speed manual transmissions are standard on the B150, B170 and B200, with the B180 CDI, B200 CDI and B200 Turbo fitted with six-speeder gearboxes.
Most cars have been rated in the C to F range, so with an average D rating on the new VED Banding scale, the Mercedes B Class is doing its bit for the environment, especially with the B200CDi (M6) providing fuel consumption figures of 61.4mpg extra urban and
50.4mpg combined.
All models come with a 3 year unlimited mileage warranty. In addition you also get a 3 year paint and 12 year anti-corrosion warranty.
About the manufacturer
DaimlerChrysler is committed to at spectrum of pioneering technologies designed to cut fuel consumption and emissions in cars and commercial vehicles. Their 'Energy For The Future' initiative includes; Optimisation of Petrol and Diesel Technology;
Improvement in Conventional Fuels; Production Related Environmental Protection; Development of Regenerative and Synthetic Fuels; Development of alternatives such as Hybrid echnology, Smart ev (zero emissions and up to 72 mpg) and Fuel Cells (water is the only tailpipe emission).
The new Mercedes S class received the world's first environmental certificate for a car when it received certification by TUV. The new C class was the second car ever to be awarded certification.
A true leader in fuel cell transportation, DaimlerChrysler has spent more than U.S $1 billion in fuel cell vehicle research and development. As at Sept 2006, no other manufacturer had accumulated more vehicles or data or driven more zero-emission miles - 1.3 million miles (approx. 2.1 million kilometres).
The DaimlerChrysler fuel cell vehicle fleet is diverse - in addition to several research vehicles it includes more than 30 Mercedes-Benz Citaro buses, which are in operation in Europe, United States, Western Australia, Japan, China and Singapore. As part of the world's largest fleet of fuel cell vehicles, DaimlerChrysler has more than 100 fuel cell vehicles with customers around the world.
DaimlerChrysler pioneered fuel cell vehicle technology more than a decade ago. Fuel cells release energy from the reaction of hydrogen with a catalyst and oxygen. This clean technology operates at a high level of efficiency and is true zero-emissions. Hydrogen-powered fuel cell vehicles emit only pure water vapour as exhaust. DaimlerChrysler works closely with Ballard Power Systems to develop the fuel cell stack.
Daimler is also looking into biofuels and synthetic fuels and have a project manufacturing Biodiesel made from wild Jatropha shrubs which thrive in poor soil conditions in India. Sundiesel is an advanced 2nd generation biofuel project manufacturing a high quality fuel from Biomass such as wood chippings, with no engine modifications needed.