Mercedes B Class: The Plan B

Alternatively, the Plan B actually is tempting.

We lay our hands on this suave, not so small and yet so powerful Mercedes B Class Tourer, the country’s first compact sports tourer and the most affordable from the German motor house.

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As most of you, we have always reminisced of classy, aerodynamically sporty, luxurious sedans when thinking of German auto makers. But, this pretty lass, or dude, as you may like to call it, came out as an unexpected winner. The rather youthful car is a visual treat for the onlookers and an exhilarating ride for the insiders. For starters, the German auto giant has tried to carve a new niche with the B class being the most affordable car on the platter. And for the first time, we weren’t baffled by the new swanky new name given to this segment – compact sports tourer – which this marvel lives up to the name as well.

Initially, when we saw the car only in the pictures, it resembled a lot like a comfortable German version of the cramped up Honda Jazz. But in flesh, this much desirable three pointed star marvel looks pretty much larger than life, standing at 4,359mm in length. For Mercedes aficionados the car does look like Merc’s ‘Grand Sport Tourer’, the R-Class, albeit in a scaled down form factor. What adds in this car’s appeal is its elongated hood which takes it far away from a van-like appearance. Coming to the details, the car stands true to the German giant’s trend of paying great attention to the slightest details of every corner of the car. And this ‘Sport’ edition is all about details, from the blackened out top nesting a pair of sun-roofs, the massive 17-inch alloy wheels with their gorgeous 10-spoke design, the curvaceous xenon headlamps with LED running lights, the sculpted and louvered front bumper, the little roof spoiler and the twin chromed tailpipes. Even a faggot driving the car will manage to catch a lot of attention everywhere he goes, obviously for this car’s sheer sporty look.

Honestly, the interiors win our heart. The moment you enter the car and comfort yourself on the contented seats, your senses get elated more than the last time you would have got a Thai massage. The sense of classiness and thoughtful layout of equipment has left the other Germans lagging behind the race by miles. The crème leather seats complement the otherwise dark trim of the car. What adds to the zeal of the interiors is the Pagani Zonda inspired aluminum accented air-conditioning vents. The B-Class also features a style of LCD screen new to Merc’s cars – one which looks like a 6-inch tablet plugged into the dash and gives a very modern, almost concept car-like feel, though a touch interface would have won them some more brownie points. The B does offer plenty of space both in the front and the back thanks to its tall cabin design and the car’s fairly long 2,699mm wheelbase which ensures sitting three abreast on the back bench do not complain at all.

Under the hood, the 1.6-litre four-cylinder direct injection turbocharged petrol motor offers crisp throttle, though the performance is not completely out the world. With your foot down, the resonant engine note will set your heart pumping. For India, Mercedes has come out with a 7G-DCT – a seven-speed dual clutch transmission. In automatic mode, it offers smooth gear changes with the acceleration paddle being a little unresponsive. For the manual mode, swap the cogs using the steering mounted paddles. If used the paddles in the right manner, the car seems pretty responsive. Upshifts are quick and seamless while the downshifts. The right hand automatic clutch transmission paddle makes your left hand pretty much useless and at ease, unless you go for ride using the manual transmission.

Handling is quite smooth, keeping in mind the hefty kerb weight of the car. Turning radius makes steering through the shortest of turns and via heavy traffic quite an easy task. The B, coupled with razor sharp disc brakes lets you pull over the car in pretty short distances.

So the question one faces is whether you would want to shell this kind of a money and get a fully loaded and exciting hatchback, when you can actually get a premium entry level luxury sedan by shelling out the same amount of money. It all boils down to your own definition of value for money, and how far you think the goalposts have shifted; looked at purely on its merits, the B-Class is a great way to buy into the prestige of the Mercedes-Benz brand, and it should make for an even more compelling buy when a diesel engine comes in next year.

From the February 2013 issue of FHM India.