New Mercedes-Benz B-Class Launched; Prices Start at Rs. 27.95 Lakh

We first saw the facelift of the Mercedes-Benz B-Class in October 2014 at the Paris Motorshow and just five months later the company has launched the car in India. The new B-Class is now priced at Rs.      Lakh (ex-showroom Mumbai)

The B-class is one of the most successful models for Mercedes-Benz in recent times, selling over 350,000 units since its second generation was launched in 2011. The petrol car came first followed by the diesel in India and the Sports Tourer has tasted a bit of success. The facelift version of the B-Class will appeal to the younger crowd.

The tweaks to the new B-Class are subtle and the exterior sees changes like a resculpted front and rear bumper to make it appear more sporty. Even the LED daytime running headlamps are now integrated into the headlamp cluster. The inside will see a host of changes like metal inserts, carbon fibre finished dashboard, and red stitching on the seats and steering. There will also be 12 ambient lighting themes in the car.

Inside, you're greeted by a new steering wheel from the C-Class which is wrapped in soft leather. The sporty instrument cluster is also borrowed from the C-Class and between the dials sits a new colour screen from the trip computer. The old COMAND screen has been replaced with a new, seven inch one which looks more up market. Additional equipment includes Bluetooth, cruise control, two USB ports, electric driver's seat, panoramic sunroof, parking sensors, rear view camera and seven airbags (which are standard)

Under the hood is a 2.1-litre diesel engine, so it's now available in the 200 and not the 180. It gets the same engine as the one on the GLA and the CLA which churns out 134bhp. The petrol variant however, still gets the petrol 1.6-litre unit which makes 121bhp.

The company also took this opportunity to upgrade the diesel engine of the A Class. The A200 CDI will provide an addition 25% power and 20% additional torque. The A180 is priced at Rs. 25.95 lakh while the A200 CDI is priced at 26.95 lakh (ex-showroom Mumbai)

The B-Class is slot between the A-Class and the GLA and CLA and offers a more spacious cabin and a bigger boot than the CLA and the A-Class. It will be interesting to see how this strategy works for Mercedes-Benz.