New B Class at Frankfurt Show

[Smarties]

Oh Boy, it's fugly. I bet it's larger than the current A Class, with less interior room...That's progress?

 

[A210AMG]

With the right wheels I like that.

Its like a mini R class.

The angle that picture is and the small wheels doesn't sell it one bit.

As an all round small(ish) car its very good. We had the A class now a B class and space is very very good.

 

[BTB 500]

The "worm's eye view" pic in that first post is pretty unflattering IMO. There's another thread here on the new B Class, I think it looks OK ... a sort of compact estate

 

[trapperjohn]

It says "French" to me. Hope it looks better in the flesh.

 

[A210AMG]

It really depends what YOU want from a car?

My wife expecting our second wanted a car that wasn't ordinary but big enough for the little ones and pram etc.

We looked at all sorts and the B class fitted the bill, she didn't and wouldn't consider the C class estate just not her.

I think its a great car, grown up inside, lots of space, very smoth CVT gearbox and close on 60mpg. Maybe I'm odd though....

I like the R class, very few do and to me this looks like a smaller R

 

[MercFanUk]

The one thing I don't like about the outside is those small wheels - Makes it look very odd indeed... I imagine with larger ones though it'd look pretty nice overall.

 

[Smarties]

It really depends what YOU want from a car?

My wife expecting our second wanted a car that wasn't ordinary but big enough for the little ones and pram etc.

We looked at all sorts and the B class fitted the bill, she didn't and wouldn't consider the C class estate just not her.

I think its a great car, grown up inside, lots of space, very smoth CVT gearbox and close on 60mpg. Maybe I'm odd though....

I agree. The current A and B Class are fine and very clever cars.The 'replacement' A and B are very poor substitutes IMO.

 

[BTB 500]

Good job we're all different!

I don't like the current (or previous) A Class, current B Class is ok (would consider having one), and as above I like this new B Class even more

 

[Adam230K]

My friend had a B-class for a few days, I liked the 200cdi engine (bit thirsty, but frugal) but I really didn't like the interior space, not one bit.

 

[brakedust]

Has anybody seen or driven the new B-Class yet?

Auto Express has a fairly positive video review of it. It's certainly different.

 

[spinaltap]

I watched the ad for it on RTL over the weekend during the F1 race.

My dealer tells me that he will have one available to drive from the 23rd of this month.

 

[Kingy68]

Aside from the front grill and badge(s) it could be any generic Japanese/Korean mpv. Bland and fugly.

 

[renault12ts]

Oh Boy, it's fugly. I bet it's larger than the current A Class, with less interior room...That's progress?

I think you win the bet...the B class is a size up from the A class, so probably is bigger.

 

[brakedust]

Looks less fugly with larger wheels. Even so, it makes you wonder how the overall look was ever approved by the Mercedes-Benz executive committee.

I'd rather have a current A-Class than one of these.

 

[terrycufc]

As with the current B-class, it's best points are on the inside.
I don't like the way the crease goes from the door into the rear 3/4 panel, on the drivers side of that car the crease stops in the middle of the fuel filler, which looks odd. A case of trying a little to hard perhaps?
But inside it looks good.
In a few years time I will probably consider it.
By that time all the teething troubles should have been sorted out!

Terry

 

[brakedust]

Just saw my first new B-Class in the metal in Switzerland. It is very nice, especially on the inside. It has definitely evolved to become a people carrier and there is plenty of space front and rear for five. The boot is also very generous. What most impressed me was the sense of quality that the car conveyed. It feels very solid and feels very classy. There should be no doubt that this is going to do very well. If the new A-Class is similar, then the Golf and A3 will have a reran fight on their hands.

 

[Red C220]

This has every chance of being our next car as Motability has more than decimated the choice of vehicle available by capping the advance payment at £2000 and list price to £25,000. Pandering to the Daily Mail readership unfortunately.

I quite like it, interesting statistic is rear legroom is greater than both E or S class. Less rear leg room and a bigger boot would be better for us.

Unfortunately the Sport version will have run flats which will no doubt give it an intollerably hard ride.

 

[hawk20]

The one thing I don't like about the outside is those small wheels - Makes it look very odd indeed... I imagine with larger ones though it'd look pretty nice overall.

All a matter of taste I guess; I think the wheels look far too large -trying to look like a 19 year old in a Nova.

And big wheels with low profile tyres just put up the cost of tyres, aquaplane more easily, offer less grip in snow and ruin the ride. So why the crazy fashion for more and more alloy and less and less tyre. Will solid wheels take over?

 

[hawk20]

Just saw my first new B-Class in the metal in Switzerland. It is very nice, especially on the inside. It has definitely evolved to become a people carrier and there is plenty of space front and rear for five. The boot is also very generous. What most impressed me was the sense of quality that the car conveyed. It feels very solid and feels very classy. There should be no doubt that this is going to do very well. If the new A-Class is similar, then the Golf and A3 will have a reran fight on their hands.

Did you measure front legroom. The wheelbase has been shortened by a jaw-dropping 100mm (4 inches in English) so it's hard to see how legroom can do other than reduce somehere. If not in the back then in the front.

And the boot is smaller than the old B class too. It's four hundred and something litres compared with over 500 in the older B class. Smaller but dearer. Check out the price list and see how many things are now extra that were standard.

 

[Rory]

This has every chance of being our next car as Motability has more than decimated the choice of vehicle available by capping the advance payment at £2000 and list price to £25,000. Pandering to the Daily Mail readership unfortunately.

Someone on PistonHeads is asking about the new B Class and has just made exactly the same point about Daily Mail readers messing up the list! He lives in Surrey too - but drives a 5 Series, so I assume you're not the same person.