Facelifted Mercedes B-Class to make Irish debut in time for Christmas

Mercedes-Benz will introduce its facelifted B-Class in Irish showrooms in December with prices expected to start at €31,000 (ex-delivery) for the most popular model. Mercedes' Irish executives point out that the new models carry a higher level of standard specification than the outgoing models.

Based on the car giant’s new small car platform – the basis of the A-Class, CLA and GLA to date – the B-Class is aimed at those looking for more space and flexibility along with the premium badge. Despite initial hopes to win over young families the car has instead won a small if loyal following amongst older motorists who like the high seating position.

Of the eight engine variants on offer in Ireland – four diesels and four petrol versions – the most popular is expected to be the 1,461cc, 4-cylinder B160 CDI diesel Style with 90bhp, 240Nm of torque and a CO2 figure of 108, which translates into annual road tax of just €190.

The more powerful B180CDI Style is expected to cost just above €32,000, which is a about €2,600 more than the outgoing B180 CDI.

A full-electric version will also be introduced next Spring, offering a range of up to 230km and with a price tag likely to be close to €35,000 after the various grants are taken into account. That would pitch it firmly within the sights of Volkswagen’s electric Golf.

On a drive event yesterday we tested the electric model and its rapid pace and torque makes it an impressive runabout, while the range is closer to an acceptable target for buyers tahn many of its rivals. The battery pack has been developed in conjunction with Tesla engineers. It will charge up to a range of 200km but with an optional extra charge feature - that needs to be engaged prior to charge - this can be increased to 230km if a customer really needs to make it further on a single charge. However Mercedes engineers are quick to point out that they don’t expect many to use this feature more than 5 per cent of the time and that after months of trials and testing they firmly believe that most electric car buyers use their cars less than 60km between recharging.