Is the Mercedes B Class Facelift enough to keep it fresh?
Exterior – Front
So, lets start with the changes at the front. To be honest they are very hard to spot. You get some new headlights with a slightly different graphic and you get a new grill with a new mesh pattern just like the A Class. Everything else is the same. This means you even get the older style bumper which for me isn’t enough. Changing the bumper to the new A Class would have made this car look more modern in my opinion.
Exterior – Side
Moving round to the side and again changes are very minimal. You get some new colours and some new wheel options but apart from that everything else is the same as before.
Exterior – Rear
Moving round to the back and the changes are similar to the front. The bumper is exactly the same as before, but we get new graphics in the taillights. Now don’t get me wrong the overall design of the Mercedes B Class is modern and premium but if you are upgrading from a pre facelift to a facelift people won’t notice at first till they look close. Its even harder with a personalised number plate. I know that this car is being discontinued in 2 years’ time but they could have put a bit more effort in updating it. let’s have a look at the engine options to see if they have updated anything there.
Car and engine specs and price
So the engine line up has changed for the facelift but not for the better. Mercedes has reduced the engine range down to 2 engines. You can either have the B200 with is a 1.33 litre turbo engine which is designed by Renault but built by Mercedes. It has 163 bhp and it has mild hybrid technology. The power goes through a 7 speed DCT gearbox. The next engine is the B200d. this uses a 2.0 litre diesel unit with 150 bhp. The power goes through an 8 speed twin clutch automatic. The price of the Mercedes B Class starts at £35,125.
Interior – Design
Now getting inside the B Class and you are welcomed with the same changes as the A Class. This means you get the newer Mercedes steering wheel as well as the newer MBUX 2.0 without the touchpad. You also get some new materials but apart from that everything is the same. To be honest I don’t mind as the interior of the A Class and B Class are great and premium. For an MPV the interior is the best on the market. Lets have a look at the rear seats as this is the most important for the B Class.
Practicality
Now getting into the rear of the B Class and headroom and legroom is more than enough even for a 6 footer. You also sit slightly higher just like any other MPV. Sitting 3 in the back though will be a squeeze and there is a big hump in the floor. Overall though it is not bad, and it feels like a higher and stretched A Class. Let’s check the boot out.
Boot Size
So opening the boot and you are welcomed with a flat loading bay with some storage nets either side. Boot size with the seats up is 445 litres and if you fold the seats down 40 20 40 you get 1,530 litres.
Summary
So, the Mercedes B Class was already a great car in terms of premium looks and its space. The interior was also good but these updates have not changed it enough to make it feel newer. If you have a B Class there is no reason to upgrade as it is exactly the same as the old one. Personally, I would have liked some bigger updates on the outside to make it different from the pre facelift.
Exterior 3/5
Interior 4/5
Practicality 4/5
Total 11/15
Model | Mercedes B200 AMG-Line Executive |
Price | £38,250 |
Engine | 1.33 Litre Petrol,163 bhp, Hybrid Technology |
Transmission | 7 Speed DCT Automatic Gearbox |
On Sale | Yes |
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