Mercedes-Benz B-Class

Mercedes-Benz B-Class at a glance

B-Class generations and timeline

First generation W245 (2005–2011): the sandwich floor grows up

The Vision B concept, a "Compact Sports Tourer", previewed the car at the 2004 Paris Motor Show. Production versions reached Europe in early 2005 and Canada later that year. The W245 used a sandwich floor derived from the A-Class and a parabolic rear axle. It was 4,270 mm long and 1,603 mm tall, and its 2,778 mm wheelbase was longer than that of the later W246.

Petrol engines ran from the 1.5-litre B 160 (70 kW) to the B 200 Turbo, whose 142 kW came with 280 Nm of torque. Two diesels, the B 180 CDI (80 kW) and B 200 CDI (103 kW), covered the economy end. In 2008 Mercedes added the B 170 NGT, a bivalent version that ran on petrol or compressed natural gas with 85 kW.

The B-Class found buyers quickly: Europe took 52,942 cars in 2005 and 114,766 in 2006. In the 2006 Euro NCAP test the B 180 CDI scored 34 points for adult and 37 for child occupants. A fuel-cell B-Class F-Cell joined a 2011 world tour that started and ended in Stuttgart and covered more than 30,000 km.

Second generation W246 (2011–2018): the first MFA car

Mercedes revealed the W246 in August 2011; its public debut came at Frankfurt that September. Mass production began in Rastatt in November 2011, with a second line in Kecskemét, Hungary. It was the first car on the new MFA platform, which the A-Class W176 followed in 2012. The roof dropped to 1,557 mm, the wheelbase shrank to 2,699 mm, and drag dropped to a Cd of 0.26 from 0.31.

The engine range grew wide. Petrol versions used 1.6- and 2.0-litre turbo engines with 90 to 155 kW, and a B 220 4MATIC brought all-wheel drive. Diesels ranged from a 1.5-litre B 160 CDI with 66 kW to the 2.1-litre B 220 CDI with 125 kW. The B 200 Natural Gas Drive (115 kW) continued the gas tradition from 2013.

The B-Class Electric Drive was the most unusual version. It used a 132 kW induction motor, 340 Nm and a 36 kWh lithium-ion battery supplied by Tesla. The US EPA rated the 2014 model at 140 km of range. US sales began in December 2013, at first only in states with zero-emission mandates. The base price was US$41,450 for model year 2014, before incentives (about €31,200 at that year's exchange rate). German sales ran from November 2014 to October 2017, and the car was renamed B 250 e in 2017.

Euro NCAP gave the W246 five stars in 2011, with 97 percent for adult occupants. A facelift, presented in Paris in October 2014, brought new bumpers, a larger grille and LED lights. Europe registered 119,871 B-Classes in 2012.

Third generation W247 (since 2018): MBUX and a plug-in hybrid

The W247 premiered at the Paris Motor Show on 2 October 2018, and production in Germany started a month later. Its engine range mirrors that of the A-Class W177. The B 180 and B 200 use a 1.3-litre turbo with 100 and 120 kW. The B 220 and B 250 have a 2.0-litre engine with 140 and 165 kW and 4MATIC all-wheel drive. Three diesels cover 85 to 140 kW.

The B 250 e plug-in hybrid has 160 kW of system output. Wikipedia's tables list a 15.6 kWh battery and WLTP electric ranges of 56–67 km before the facelift and 67–77 km after it. In the 2019 Euro NCAP test the B 180 scored 96 percent for adult occupants, 90 percent for children and 78 percent for pedestrian protection.

The facelift for model year 2023 brought revised lights, a new interior, the latest MBUX system and 48-volt mild-hybrid assistance for the petrol engines. The manual gearbox was dropped. European sales fell from 73,997 in 2019 to 27,694 in 2021.

B-Class engines by generation

The strongest petrol B-Class has grown from 142 kW in the W245 to 165 kW in the W247, about 16 percent more. Use our power converter to check any figure in PS or hp.

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