The third generation of B-Class looks mature and gets many latest design cues. The new B-Class is slightly longer, wider and taller than its predecessor. The redesigned front and rear end give the car a very muscular appeal.
There are five engines on offer, two petrol and three diesel units. The 1.3-litre petrol engine is available in two tunes 136 HP and 200 Nm, and 163 HP and 250 Nm. The 1.5-litre diesel engine produces 115 HP and 260 Nm. Apart from the smaller diesel unit, a 2.0-litre diesel is also available in two different tunes 150 HP and 320 Nm, and 190 HP and 400 Nm. The petrol and 1.5 diesel engines will be mated to a 7-speed automatic gearbox. However, the 2.0-litre diesel will be mated with an 8-speed automatic transmission and that's the engine option we can expect in India when launched. A 4Matic all-wheel drive variant will also be available in the international market eventually.
On the inside, the car gets split instrument panels with an additional option of heads-up display (HUD). The MBUX multimedia system in the car includes touch input, voice command, gesture control and Mercedes Me connectivity. Some safety systems and semi-autonomous driving features from the S-Class are also provided as an option in the B-Class. The boot space of the car varies from 455 litres to 705 litres. With the rear seats folded the boot space expands to a massive 1540 litres.
The B-Class will be on sale from December 3 in the international market and deliveries will commence after a couple of months. However, the car is expected to launch in India before mid-2019.