Mercedes-Benz B200 Blue EFFICIENCY

Mercedes-Benz B200 BlueEFFICIENCY Sports Tourer previewed in Penang

Like many of you, I find myself perplexed with the identity of this car. This is the Mercedes-Benz B 200 BlueEFFICIENCY and it is billed by the German carmaker a sports tourer. What?

Google reveals that sports tourers are either long-distance bikes or station wagons. The B-Class is neither; what it resembles is a scaled up hatchback, a paunchier A-Class if I may. Which is not exactly news considering the new A and the new B shares the same platform. So, essentially, a sports tourer is a longer, wider and taller hatchback.

Continue reading for the full scoop on the new B200.

Let’s talk measurements. The B 200 is 4,359 mm long, 1,786 mm wide and 1,558 tall. The sheet metal that wraps around the frame is designed in a way that makes the sports tourer look wider and tauter. The wide grille and extended headlamps gives the car an  aggressive face, which is enhanced by the dynamic creases under the belt line. To me, the overall package looks attractive enough.

The shape does more than just please the eye, or sore the oculars depending how you take to the design. The B-Class’ form is aerodynamic. It records a drag coefficient of 0.26 Cd, which is as wind slicing as the Nissan GT-R. Let’s end the comparison of these two cars here; both are of different sectors after all.

If the exterior is palatable, the interior isn’t. Not to say that the designers have mucked it up, the B-Class is just as stylish and luxurious as the other new-gen Mercs. The chrome bits inside are peppered appropriately and frequent touch-points are nicely packaged in leather. And dials and button have the necessary resistance that elevates the perceived value of the living space.

One more thing to point out is the dashboard trim. Mercedes-Benz is offering two versions, a high-gloss black ash wood or the matt burr walnut trim. I recommend you go for the matt wood. It is so much better to touch (you can feel the grains of the wood) and it makes the interior a cosier place to be

What falls short is the plastic. The dashboard has that malleable-plastic feel similar to the Volkswagen Passat. The transmission tunnel, especially at the area at the COMAND dial, is hard, rough and veryunMercedes-Benz. Shocking. By the way, the gearstick takes position as a steering stalk.

But I can’t fault the B-Class for not being comfortable. Because that is one thing it does well. With a wheelbase of 2,699 mm, there is a good amount of stretching space. Legs, shoulder and head have ample airspace to wiggle about. The front seats are comfortable with the driver’s ergonomics being near faultless. And while the rear bench could use more width for longer thighs, it is still good enough to catch 40 winks in the back.