2019 Mercedes-Benz B-Class Lets Us Peak at MBUX Infotainment

But now small premium crossovers have taken over, forcing many companies to discontinue these family cars. Mercedes decided against this and is getting ready to launch a new generation of its second-cheapest vehicle.

Several months ago, we saw the 2019 model without camouflage, and the placement of its pillars, windows and other mounting points convinced us it was a major refresh based on the older generation. The practice is not uncommon, mainly when profit margins are tight on a very popular car - Fiesta, Corsa and so on.

Mercedes has had to work a little bit harder to win over family car buyers, which is why the B-Class is going to be filled with every new technology developed for the A-Class. This is not surprising, considering the pair will share production facilities and parts suppliers.

Probably the most attention-grabbing components will be the infotainment screens. Several configurations will be available, the biggest of which features two 10-inch monitors taking over the top of the dash.

There's going to be more than a passing resemblance to bigger, much cooler cars like the CLS-Class and G-CLass, with metallic air vents and the optional AMG Line package.

This car is a real load lugger with slightly more space as standard than a Ford C-Max. The rear bench slides for either more cargo or legroom and I believe this is one of the few cars in the segment where the front seat can be folded too. You also get a ski hatch and that weird Mercedes-badged shopping basket under the false floor.

A radar system in the nose could help lower your insurance costs while the latest batch of engines should keep running costs at bay.