Photo: Mercedes-Benz
Believe it or not, there are still a few successful minivans out there. And, today, their popularity is not measured in great sales, but rather in the ability to stay alive and get noticed by the automaker.
Such a quirky survival case is made by the Mercedes-Benz B-Class. It is a small premium MPV that never distinguished itself with anything (good or bad), yet it has already reached the mid-life-cycle facelift milestone for the current, W247 generation that premiered in 2019. And its German parent is gifting those still looking for something that gets slapped full of ‘soccer mom’ jokes with a little treat.
The refreshed B-Class is now official, alongside its A-Class sibling, and Mercedes-Benz only has fine words for it. Allegedly, the facelift will soon arrive on its intended markets with a “progressive, confident exterior,” which is their way of saying people will be Sherlocks trying to spot the differences between iterations. Plus, it will have an interior ranging “between high-tech and sportiness,” complete with the latest MBUX infotainment setup and assistance systems.
More importantly, the upgraded B-Class is a bit more sustainable and efficient. For example, the gasoline family (B 180, B 200, B220 4Matic, B 250 4Matic) now relies on “an additional 48-volt on-board power supply and a power increase of 10 kW.” Unfortunately, that isn’t also valid for the diesel units (B 180 d, B 200 d, B 220 d), which rely solely on ICE power, through and through.
Alas, there is also one more eco-friendly option worth considering. The plug-in hybrid variant has a little bit of added power, with the B 250 e version benefiting from “a further improved high-voltage battery.” Additionally, the optional AC power draw can be increased to 11 kW while the PHEV can also get hooked to DC fast charging station. From there, the 15.6 kWh battery can sip electron juice at up to 22 kW (10% to 80% SoC in 25 minutes). Plus, the electric motor has a 5-kW increase in nominal power, to 80 kW/107 hp, while the total system output is 160 kW/215 hp.
The refreshed B-Class is now official, alongside its A-Class sibling, and Mercedes-Benz only has fine words for it. Allegedly, the facelift will soon arrive on its intended markets with a “progressive, confident exterior,” which is their way of saying people will be Sherlocks trying to spot the differences between iterations. Plus, it will have an interior ranging “between high-tech and sportiness,” complete with the latest MBUX infotainment setup and assistance systems.
More importantly, the upgraded B-Class is a bit more sustainable and efficient. For example, the gasoline family (B 180, B 200, B220 4Matic, B 250 4Matic) now relies on “an additional 48-volt on-board power supply and a power increase of 10 kW.” Unfortunately, that isn’t also valid for the diesel units (B 180 d, B 200 d, B 220 d), which rely solely on ICE power, through and through.
Alas, there is also one more eco-friendly option worth considering. The plug-in hybrid variant has a little bit of added power, with the B 250 e version benefiting from “a further improved high-voltage battery.” Additionally, the optional AC power draw can be increased to 11 kW while the PHEV can also get hooked to DC fast charging station. From there, the 15.6 kWh battery can sip electron juice at up to 22 kW (10% to 80% SoC in 25 minutes). Plus, the electric motor has a 5-kW increase in nominal power, to 80 kW/107 hp, while the total system output is 160 kW/215 hp.
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