Mercedes B-Class

THE BIG movers in the car industry at the moment are SUVs of all sizes, while people carriers are definitely on the wane. This presents a problem for manufacturers who still have MPV models that they want to sell. What are they to do?

If you’re Mercedes, you call your new B-Class compact a Sports Tourer, which makes it trendier and more youthfulsounding than a people carrier. Indeed, this is a good option for car buyers with a young family as it’s based on the same platform as the youth-oriented A-Class, so it makes a logical progression in Mercedes ownership.

As it’s a compact MPV, the B-Class doesn’t exactly look sporty despite its now longer and wider dimensions, but we like the smooth, unfussy surfaces and clean lines.

There are two petrol and three diesel engines, all of which are turbocharged, giving buyers plenty to choose from without being so many that it becomes confusing.

The petrol engines are a pair of 1.3-litre units in the form of the B180 and B200. The B180 produces 134bhp, with a resulting 0 to 60mph time of 8.8 seconds, while the average fuel economy is up to 52.3mpg and emissions start from 124g/km. The B200’s engine produces a slightly more powerful 161bhp that enables it to reach 60mph from a standing start in 8.0 seconds.

Despite its better performance, compared to the B180 there’s no penalty in economy, with the same fuel consumption and emissions figures.

Both engines are mated to a sevenspeed, dual-clutch automatic gearbox.

The B200 offers plenty of go for most drivers, despite being only a 1.3-litre unit. At low speeds, it does seem to hold