Mercedes B180 CDI 5dr (2008) CAR review

Plaudits for the Mercedes B-class were thin on the ground back in 2005 when the car first launched, pitched as a ‘Compact Sports Tourer’. To drive it was nothing of the sort – not as ‘compact’ or ‘sporty’ as a Ford C-Max, nor as able to ‘tour’ on even vaguely demanding roads as a BMW 3-series Touring. And it was always too close to the A-class in concept.

But quietly, the Mercedes B-class has shifted 350,000 units globally in three years; presumably to people who liked the idea of a roomy and flexible five-seater that could swallow considerably more luggage – 544 to 2245 litres – than an A-class (435 to 1995) while ‘out-badging’ its compact MPV opposition. The facelifted version continues that tradition with more fuel-efficient engines, stop/start tech, extra kit and new options.

What sort of extra kit exactly?

The new B-class continues its two-diesel (180 and 200CDI), two-petrol (150 and 170) engine line-up with a reduced trim line-up consisting of just SE and Sport. Prices run from £18,840 to £22,540.

SE trim now includes a large panoramic fixed glass roof worth £440 for only a £150 price hike while the Sport gets the previous £495 Sports package of various interior and exterior chrome upgrades for the same small £150 premium over the previous model.

All models get hill start assist, adaptive brake lights that go into ‘flashing hazard mode’ under heavy braking, and crash-responsive emergency lighting that lights up the interior to help you out if things go pear-shaped.

Topping the unusual options list is ‘park assist’ that all but parks the car for you via sensors and electric power steering, but the driver must remember to do the braking when the rear and front parking sensors bleep their worst. At £550 it’s clever kit but not unique – VW already has similar tech on the Tiguan and Touran – and not one you’d specify unless you were extremely poor at parallel parking. Watch CAR's test of the self-parking car here.