Mercedes-Benz Releases 133 Photos of the New B-Class

At the 64th Frankfurt Motor Show, Mercedes-Benz officially revealed its all-new B-Class small MPV. Unlike other manufactures that like to tease us and slowly release details on their new models, Mercedes instantly gave away all the information about its new tall hatch, such as dimensions, powertrains, active and passive safety features as well as equipment levels.

Now it's time for a second and far more comprehensive round of pictures as the German maker unleashed more than 130 photos of the new B-Class covering every aspect from the exterior and interior design to technology.

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Posted on 07.48 / 0 comments / Read More

IAA 2011: New Mercedes-Benz B-Class Keeps Old Model's Pricing

Good news for European consumers interested in the second-generation of the B-Class, as Mercedes-Benz is launching the new small MPV at the same price as the outgoing model, despite the numerous improvements and additions to the standard equipment.

Available for order now with first deliveries to arrive in November, pricing for the 2012 B-Class starts at €26,001.50 (about US$35,900) including 19% VAT in Germany for the B 180 BlueEFFICIENCY (BE) that is motivated by a 1.6-liter petrol engine delivering 122HP, 7HP more than the preceding model.

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Posted on 08.31 / 0 comments / Read More

IAA 2011: Mercedes-Benz Concept B-Class E-CELL PLUS

Joining the regular version of the all-new B-Class in its world premiere at the Frankfurt Motor Show is a concept model of Mercedes-Benz's small MPV. The Concept B-Class E-Cell PLUS is an advanced extended-range plug-in hybrid that combines an electric drive with a 1.0-liter turbocharged three-cylinder petrol engine.

The electric drive generates a peak power output of 100 kW (136HP) and a continuous output of 70 kW (95HP), while the gasoline unit delivers 67-horsepower (50 kW).

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Posted on 13.14 / 0 comments / Read More

Frankfurt Preview: Mercedes Officially Unveils the New B-Class MPV [51 Photos]

With the IAA, more commonly known as the Frankfurt Motor Show, less than three weeks away, car manufacturers are scrambling to reveal initial details on their most important models before the big event, so that they won’t get lost amidst all the premieres.

Today, the Stuttgart-based company unleashed a full gallery of pictures of the all-new B-Class. As we have already mentioned, even though (unlike the new A-Class) it still uses Mercedes' modular “sandwich” platform, the second generation of the B-Class is larger than its predecessor.

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Posted on 07.00 / 0 comments / Read More

First Official Photo of New 2012 Mercedes-Benz B-Class

It wasn’t exactly the world's best-kept secret, and now, what appears to be the first (official) exterior photo of Mercedes-Benz's upcoming second generation B-Class, is also doing the internet rounds.

The new B-class will be seen by the public for the first time at the 2011 Frankfurt motor show next month, before sales roll out next year. With this model, Mercedes is targeting buyers who are mostly interested in versatility and comfort.

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Posted on 04.58 / 0 comments / Read More

Mercedes Previews 2012 B-Class Mini MPV's Refined Interior

Earlier in July, Mercedes-Benz outline the shape and detailed the powertrain lineup for the new 2012 B-Class MPV. Now, the Stuttgart-based automaker is providing us with our first look at the tall compact model's inner works.

Looking at these photos, if there's one thing that stands out it’s that, unlike the exterior, which is an evolution of the current B-Class, the interior has been completely redesigned and features a more modern styling and premium feel than the sober cabin of today's model.

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Posted on 10.08 / 0 comments / Read More

Mercedes-Benz Outlines the New 2012 B-Class Small MPV Ahead of Frankfurt Show

We’ll know all the ins and outs of the new 2012 B-Class in about two months time at the Frankfurt Motor Show, but Mercedes today provided us with the first official teaser photos and initial specifications of its small MPV that will go on sale in Europe in November.

While the shape and styling of the new B-Class won’t surprise anyone given the close proximity to the current model, there’s more than meets the eye about the Mercedes-Benz model.

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Posted on 08.27 / 0 comments / Read More

SCOOP: 2012 Mercedes-Benz B-Class MPV Caught…White-Handed

Our team of spy photographers have snagged the production version of the upcoming 2012 Mercedes-Benz B-Class dressed in a see-through plastic wrap as the car was being loaded off the transportation truck.

Clearly descended from the current-generation of Stuttgart’s mini-MPV model, the new B-Class follows a more conservative styling language than its smaller sibling, the 2012 A-Class, official patent images of which we showed you in May (see here).

The five-seat 2012 B-Class is based on a new front-wheel drive platform which brings an increase in dimensions and consequently, improved interior space for both passengers and the luggage area.

The new B-class, dubbed W246, will benefit from an updated lineup of turbocharged four-cylinder engines with direct-injection and start/stop technologies in both diesel and petrol flavors.

It is believed that Mercedes-Benz will lift the covers off the new B-Class at the 2011 Frankfurt Motor Show this September with sales to follow next year. Mercedes-Benz officials have not revealed any plans to bring the B-Class to the USA.

Stay tuned for more spy shots as well as the actual production versions of both the 2012 A- and B-Class models as we’re nearing closer to their launch.

PHOTO GALLERY

Posted on 21.09 / 0 comments / Read More

SCOOP: 2012 Mercedes-Benz B-Class MPV is Same ol’ Same ol’…

Not too long ago, we brought you official design images of the brand new 2012 Mercedes-Benz A-Class sporting a five-door hatchback body styled after the impressive A-Class concept seen at the New York and Shanghai Auto Shows in April. Now we have some revealing spy shots of the upcoming 2012 B-Class minivan. Being that the next A-Class and its larger B-Class sibling belong to the same family, you would expect a similar design philosophy between the two models.

However, as these latest scoops demonstrate, that is not the case with the new 2012 B-Class. We had a very hard time telling the differences between the current B-Class and its successor, as the overall shape and styling of the small MPV have been kept intact. Nevertheless, the new B-Class is slightly longer than the current model, with the front and rear ends influenced by the latest crop of Mercedes-Benz cars and SUVs.

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Posted on 14.14 / 0 comments / Read More

Mercedes-Benz B-Class F-Cell’s World Tour Cut Short after Accident in Kazakhstan

On January 30th, 2011, three Mercedes-Benz B-Class F-Cell models set out from Germany to travel around the globe covering 30,000 kilometers (about 18,700 miles) in 125 days to demonstrate the technical maturity and reliability of the world’s first series production fuel cell vehicle.
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Posted on 14.44 / 0 comments / Read More

Meet the 388HP V8-Powered and RWD Mercedes-Benz B55 [with Video]

The regular Mercedes-Benz B-Class wasn’t exactly created with the motoring enthusiast’s needs in mind, but this one-off B55 special is another story. Trainees of Mercedes-Benzs Rastatt plant in Germany turned a B200 CDI diesel model into a full-blown sports car by planting in a 388 hp 5.5-liter V8 and transferring the drive from the front axle to the rear.

The idea of the project came from plant manager, Peter Wesp, while the execution fell on the shoulders of foremen Andreas Würz and Matt Rieger and a team of twelve second and third-year trainees specializing in production mechanics and automotive mechatronics.

The team aimed to fulfill several goals, drawn up in a book of specifications. According to the plan, the spatial concept as well as the body of the B-Class were to remain unchanged. The interior, however, was to be upgraded to reflect the newly acquired qualities and the overall goal was to create a vehicle suitable for everyday driving.

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Posted on 13.31 / 0 comments / Read More

Mercedes' Chinese Partner BAIC Blatantly Copies B-Class with New BC301Z

Beijing Automotive Industry Holding Corp., commonly known by the acronym BAIC, is one of Mercedes-Benz's partners in China. However, that didn't stop the Chinese automaker, which has acquired the intellectual rights for Saab's older 9-5 and certain 9-3 models, to rip off the design of Mercedes' B-Class for its new BC301Z five-door hatchback and to a lesser extent, the BC302Z sedan.

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Posted on 16.47 / 0 comments / Read More

2012 Mercedes-Benz B-Class Brochure Shot Leaked? We'd Say Nein and here's why...

With the Paris Motor Show just around the corner, you'd think that the interwebs would have something better to do than embrace wild rumors such as the Toyota FT-86 sport sedan - seriously, now.... But that's not the only story making the rounds on the web today. Several sites have posted the above photo claiming its some sort of leaked brochure shot of the facelifted / new / redesigned etc, etc, version of the Mercedes-Benz B-Class. We have three reasons to believe it's a photoshop hoax. Click through to check them out one by one...

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Posted on 13.32 / 0 comments / Read More

Mercedes Announces Production of Hydrogen-Powered B-Class F-Cell

This is Mercedes-Benz's B-Class F-Cell, the company's first ever series production fuel-cell car. According to the German automaker, production will begin in late 2009 with the first of around 200 examples of the hydrogen-electric hybrid to be delivered to customers in Europe and the USA at the beginning of next year. Based on the B-Class hatch, the F-Cell uses a new generation fuel cell system, in which gaseous hydrogen reacts with atmospheric oxygen at 700 bar to generate a current for the electric motor, with water as a by-product.

As in conventional hybrids with combustion engines, the fuel-cell car makes use of a lithium-ion battery with an output of 35 kW and a capacity of 1.4 kWh to boost power and recover braking energy.

The drive components of the F-Cell powertrain are located in the sandwich floor, meaning that passenger and luggage space (416 liters) remain unaffected..

The vehicle's electric motor produces an output of 100 kW or 136 horsepower and a maximum torque of 290 Nm or 214 lb-ft allowing the five-door Merc to reach a top speed of 170km/h or 105mph. We don't know how Mercedes made the calculation, but the firm claims that the zero-emission car fuel cell drive consumes the equivalent of 3.3 liters of diesel fuel per 100km or 71.3mpg US.

The B-Class F-Cell is said to have a driving range of around 400 km or 250 miles while it takes about three minutes to refuel the car with hydrogen.

The Stuttgart automaker said that it has addressed the cold-start issues that affect hydrogen-powered vehicles with the B-Class F-Cell being able to start in temperatures as low as minus 25 degrees Celsius while vigorous testing ensures that the car offers the same level of safety as in other Mercs.

Posted on 08.16 / 0 comments / Read More

Mercedes Plant Produces 750,000th A-Class and 500,000th B-Class

The 750,000th A-Class and 500,000th B-Class rolled off the production line at Mercedes-Benz' Rastatt plant in Germany. The two milestone vehicles, a lotus blue A 180 CDI and a horizon blue B 180 NGT with natural-gas drive will be delivered to customers in Germany and Great Britain respectively. Overall, the Stuttgart based automaker has produced a total of more than 2.35 million units of the two model series since the introduction of the first-gen A-Class in 1997 (second-gen model was launched in 2004) and the B-Class in 2005.

After Germany, the largest markets for the A- and B-Class are Italy, France and Great Britain while the biggest market for the two models outside Europe is Japan. At the beginning of 2009, Mercedes-Benz also introduced the B-Class in China.

Posted on 13.00 / 0 comments / Read More

autoscardesign's April Foolery

Here's the round up with our April Fool's Day automotive hoaxes. We hope you enjoyed all of them and we promise to come up with even better ones next year.

• 2011 Mercedes-Benz B-Class Photos Leaked by EU Patent Office
• Breaking News: Wagoner to Lead Chinese Company in Oldsmobile Revival
• Kia Release AFD Rally Package for Soul

Posted on 05.38 / 0 comments / Read More

2011 Mercedes-Benz B-Class Photos Leaked by EU Patent Office

The European trademark office has done it again; following the premature leaks of the 2010 Mazda3, Renault Megane Coupe and the 2010 Nissan 370Z Roadster, the latest slip out from the bureau concerns the first official photos of Mercedes-Benz' new B-Class hatch that will compete head on with the Audi A3 and VW Golf. According to our sources, the new B-Class will be unveiled sometime in 2010 with sales starting in Europe towards the end of the year and in the U.S. and other international markets, during the first half of 2011.

Mercedes-Benz officials have high hopes for the new B-Class that will spawn a whole range of models including a three-door hatchback, a small four-door coupe sedan in the likes of the CLS called BLS plus a small SUV model that will most likely be named BLK.

Power will come from a variety of naturally aspirated and turbocharged gasoline engines as well as 'uber' clean diesels including the range-topping 2.2-liter CDi with an output of 204-horsepower. There's also talk of a gasoline-hybrid variant but Mercedes-Benz has yet to confirm the rumors.

Posted on 06.58 / 0 comments / Read More