Here’s the thing about the new B-Class: although there are four models, a diesel and three petrols, starting at $49,900, there are also various equipment packages. If you let your ticking fingers run amok, you can soon add 10 grand or more to the price. There’s a Sports Package, a sexy looking Night Package, a Vision Package that includes a huge sunroof, a multimedia COMAND package, a Driving Assistance Package and a Night Assistance Package (that, ironically, contracts to “nap”). Dealers were happy to get this Generation-2 B-Class after years of living with the earlier version that was so anonymous even the salesmen seemed to fail to remember it. Mercedes said at its introduction in 2012 that no model change in the company’s history saw so many new developments introduced in one go. Everything was new, including sales expectations. New engines, new technology, new gizmos and most of all, a new gearbox as Mercedes swum against the tide, dumped the CVT and went with a seven-speed dual-clutch auto. What a cracker the gearbox is, either left on its own or worked via paddles. The B’s a swift car, no matter which engine is chosen, and handles and rides well, although enthusiasts will want the Sport setup. The interior is nicely laid out and fitted. It will immediately appeal to those who carry a full complement of passengers, or lots of luggage. The designers have jumped through all sorts hoops to bring down fuel consumption. The petrol engines are the first of a new direct injection series; the new diesel a development of the OM651 in the C- Class and others.

Good features
Roomy and well designed

Not so good
Less costs more

The post Mercedes-Benz B200 appeared first on Automotive News NZ.

The original A-Class of the late 1990s broke with convention as Mercedes-Benz set to plot a new front-drive/small-car path. The new model follows it, with a footprint typical of today’s executive hatchback segment. But it has a couple of things on its side: it’s clearly full of  Mercedes-Benz DNA and won’t be lost in the mix, it’s sharp looking, sporty even, drives as good as it looks, comes with class-leading equipment and clean engines. All that is enough to ensure it features on European shopping lists. Unlike some of its Euro rivals, there’s nothing conservative about it. The A-Class has been designed to turn heads. Inside and out, it is a racy blend of colour, contrasts, and converging design lines. The cabin is largely driver-focused, remaining roomy for four adults, and providing adequate storage space front and rear. But it can’t claim to be an airy environment. On the road the A-Class clashes with itself. Handling is sharp and responsive, as good as it gets in the segment, no matter which of the engine offerings is under the bonnet. Body control was as good, too, but the ride was a compromise: good over good surfaces, skittery and jarring over bad surfaces. Road and wind noise intruded. The 1.6-litre engine in the entry-level A180 stays quiet at low revs, pulls obligingly in high gears, and returns decent economy. It has price on its side, too.

The post Mercedes-Benz A-Class appeared first on Automotive News NZ.