The B Class

BENZ: The B's knees.

GENERATION two of the practical Mercedes-Benz B-Class compact people mover has arrived. It’s the first Benz to feature a new platform that will spawn five new small cars for the German make including the eagerly awaited new A-Class.

The five seat B-Class is a popular conveyance and the only premium compact people mover that’s not SUV-based.

It sells against a slew of competitors but none is as adept as the new B-Class - moving people safely, efficiently and comfortably.

PRICE CUT

Benz has been able to slice more than $5000 off the price of the entry level B180 BlueEfficiency turbo petrol model that now starts at $38,950.

And far from being a boned-out kick off model, the B180 is crammed with standard features including a seven-speed dual clutch manumatic transmission (with paddle shift), nine air bags, Bluetooth phone and audio, cruise and climate control - to name a few.

It’s a clean sheet design and ushers in a look that will permeate most of the company’s new small cars.