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April
20, 2005
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This new Mercedes development takes the advantages of different vehicle concepts and combines them into an interesting and distinctive profile of its own: as a Compact Sports Tourer, the B-Class is a touring, family and recreational vehicle with incomparable added experience value in terms of design and dynamism. One of the major advantages of the Compact Sports Tourer is the sandwich concept developed by Mercedes-Benz. Thanks to the space-saving arrangement of the engine and transmission partly in front of and partly beneath the passenger cell, the new B-Class offers the interior spaciousness of larger saloons and estate cars despite its compact external dimensions. The body has a length of 4270 millimetres, corresponding to the compact car class. Inside, however, the new Mercedes model offers more than other cars of comparable size in this segment in all comfort-related respects, e.g. shoulder-room, legroom and headroom.
Occupants in the rear benefit from the long wheelbase (2778 millimetres); this allows a distance between seats and generous kneeroom which almost matches that in the S-Class. The B-Class also reaches new dimensions where variability and load capacity are concerned. Thanks to a height-adjustable load compartment floor, an asymmetrically divided, folding and removable rear seat unit plus an optionally removable front passenger seat, the Compact Sports Tourer is quickly and easily converted from a comfortable touring car to a practical van. Depending on the number and position of the seats, the load capacity can be increased from 544 to up to 2245 litres (with rear seats and front passenger seat removed). This corresponds to the load capacity of large estate cars. The maximum loading length is 2.95 metres. State-of-the-art four-cylinder engines with up to 142 kW/193 hp High-torque CDI diesel engines and up-to-date petrol units meet the need of the Sports Tourer concept for effortless performance and a high level of driving pleasure. There is a choice of six four-cylinder engines with outputs ranging from 70 kW/95 hp to 142 kW/193 hp. The top-of-the-line B 200 TURBO is equipped with a new two-litre, four-cylinder engine which delivers a maximum torque of 280 Newton metres from as little as 1800 rpm thanks to turbocharging and intercooling, and maintains this value over a wide engine speed range up to 4850 rpm. This means that the most powerful of the Compact Sports Tourers accelerates from standstill to 100 km/h in just 7.6 seconds, takes the fifth-gear sprint from 80 to 120 km/h in 7.3 seconds and achieves a maximum speed of 225 km/h. The diesel line-up is headed by the B 200 CDI with 103 kW/140 hp, which has a remarkably high torque of 300 Newton metres. The newly developed turbodiesel with common-rail direct injection accelerates the Compact Sports Tourer from nought to 100 km/h in 9.6 seconds, and from 80 to 120 km/h in 10.0 seconds (in fifth gear). The maximum speed of the B 200 CDI is 200 km/h. Despite this superb performance the fuel consumption remains below the six-litre mark at 5.6 litres per 100 kilometres (NEDC combined consumption). The CDI models in the B-Class meet the stringent EU 4 exhaust emission limits even without a particulate filter, though Mercedes-Benz offers a maintenance-free diesel particulate filter system on request. The new B 200 TURBO and the CDI models B 180 CDI and B 200 CDI are equipped with a six-speed manual transmission as standard. The newly developed, continuously variable AUTOTRONIC automatic transmission is optionally available for all engine variants of the B-Class. High technology from bi-xenon to THERMOTRONIC
Photos: DC High-tech systems from the Mercedes luxury class further enhance comfort and the driving experience in the new Compact Sports Tourer. Optionally available features include THERMOTRONIC automatic climate control, electrically adjustable front seats, leather upholstery and the COMAND APS or Audio 50 APS radio/navigation system. A newly developed, panoramic louvred sunroof provides the occupants of the new B-Class with an open-air feeling as an optional extra, and in its closed position it also contributes to the light, friendly atmosphere in the interior of the Compact Sport Tourer. The roof aperture is around two thirds larger than that of a conventional sliding roof. A fixed panoramic roof with a grey-tinted, 0.6-square-metre glass panel is optionally available as an alternative to the sliding roof. On request the standard projection-beam headlamps behind their clear lenses can be upgraded with bi-xenon technology, the Active Light System and a cornering light function. (Apr 20, 2005)
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