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Spied: Mercedes-Benz Ramping Up Development of Production B-Class Electric Drive

Monday, January 7, 2013

At last year's Paris Motor Show, Mercedes-Benz demonstrated a new concept for an all-electric version of the latest B-Class small MPV alongside the SLS AMG and Smart Brabus Electric Drive models.

At the time, the German brand revealed that a production version of the B-Class Electric Drive would be added to its range of compact cars in 2014. True to its word, Mercedes is continuing the development of the car, which our spies captured in prototype form undergoing cold weather tests in Sweden.

Monday, September 17, 2012

Mercedes-Benz has chosen the Paris Auto Show to showcase an all-electric version of its compact MPV in the form of the B-Class Electric Drive concept.

The B-Class study is one of the first to receive the “Electric Drive” designation, which from now on will adorn all electric passenger cars from Mercedes-Benz and Smart.

Monday, July 16, 2012

The Audi Q3 and BMW X1 will soon have a rival from Stuttgart in the premium compact crossover segment as Mercedes-Benz officially confirmed the development of an A-Class-based SUV.

Daimler Chief Executive Dieter Zetsche made the announcement during a conference at Mercedes' Rastatt plant in Germany on the start of production of the revamped A-Class hatchback.

"This start of production marks a further milestone in our Mercedes-Benz 2020 growth strategy. The A-Class represents our offensive in the compact segment," said Zetsche. "And there is more to come: The compact SUV will be the third model we will build here in Rastatt."

Friday, July 13, 2012

For those who like turning the top or rear end of their Mercedes-Benz vehicle into a storage area, the German brand has come up with a new collection of space extensions that cover all sorts of needs including transportation solutions for bikes, skis and snowboards and which are available for several models in the automaker's range. Read more »

Mercedes Reportedly Confirms Electric Version of New B-Class for the States

Tuesday, July 3, 2012

It looks like the new generation of the Mercedes-Benz B-Class will come to the United States after all - or at least one of the models in the lineup will.

An unnamed inside source at Mercedes-Benz's parent company Daimler AG told German publication Automobilwoche that an electric version of the compact MPV will go on sale in America from 2014.

Friday, March 30, 2012

Even though most of our readers will be aware of Mercedes' plans to launch a small "four-door coupe" thanks to a series of scoops we've brought you over the past year, the German automaker made it official on Thursday during the opening ceremony of its new passenger car plant in Kecskemét, Hungary, which began series production of the new B-Class.

The place and time were not selected by chance as the compact sports sedan will become the second product for the new Kecskemét factory.

Tuesday, February 7, 2012

Coinciding with the European market launch of the 2012 Mercedes-Benz B-Class, Brabus has released its first tuning take on the small MPV. For the time being, the German tuner's offerings include upgrades for the exterior, interior and the chassis with the engine kits to become available later in the year.

On the outside, Brabus has prepared an aero kit that comprises a front spoiler that attaches directly to the front bumper and a rear apron housing a diffuser and the new quad tail pipes.

Monday, December 5, 2011

Here's our first glimpse at Mercedes-Benz's hottest new B-Class model yet, which is being prepared by none other than the German firm's AMG division and is expected to enter production by 2013.

We're still not sure about the name, but it is believed that the most mightiest of all B-Class variants will be dubbed the B25 AMG.

While based on a different platform than the upcoming A25 AMG, spy shots of which we showed you back in August, the two models will share the same powertrain setup that includes a new 2.0-liter four-cylinder turbo engine delivering somewhere around 300 ponies and a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission.

Friday, November 11, 2011

While Mercedes-Benz rolled out the second-generation of the B-Class at the 64th IAA in Frankfurt this past September, the German company continues to release new pictures of its compact MPV.

This time, Mercedes published a fresh batch of 38 photos, perhaps in an effort to maintain interest in the 2012 B-Class amidst the storm of new arrivals that are swamping the media.

Monday, October 3, 2011

At the 64th Frankfurt Motor Show, Mercedes-Benz officially revealed its all-new B-Class small MPV. Unlike other manufactures that like to tease us and slowly release details on their new models, Mercedes instantly gave away all the information about its new tall hatch, such as dimensions, powertrains, active and passive safety features as well as equipment levels.

Now it's time for a second and far more comprehensive round of pictures as the German maker unleashed more than 130 photos of the new B-Class covering every aspect from the exterior and interior design to technology.

Friday, September 16, 2011

Good news for European consumers interested in the second-generation of the B-Class, as Mercedes-Benz is launching the new small MPV at the same price as the outgoing model, despite the numerous improvements and additions to the standard equipment.

Available for order now with first deliveries to arrive in November, pricing for the 2012 B-Class starts at €26,001.50 (about US$35,900) including 19% VAT in Germany for the B 180 BlueEFFICIENCY (BE) that is motivated by a 1.6-liter petrol engine delivering 122HP, 7HP more than the preceding model.

Wednesday, September 14, 2011

Joining the regular version of the all-new B-Class in its world premiere at the Frankfurt Motor Show is a concept model of Mercedes-Benz's small MPV. The Concept B-Class E-Cell PLUS is an advanced extended-range plug-in hybrid that combines an electric drive with a 1.0-liter turbocharged three-cylinder petrol engine.

The electric drive generates a peak power output of 100 kW (136HP) and a continuous output of 70 kW (95HP), while the gasoline unit delivers 67-horsepower (50 kW).

Thursday, August 25, 2011

With the IAA, more commonly known as the Frankfurt Motor Show, less than three weeks away, car manufacturers are scrambling to reveal initial details on their most important models before the big event, so that they won’t get lost amidst all the premieres.

Today, the Stuttgart-based company unleashed a full gallery of pictures of the all-new B-Class. As we have already mentioned, even though (unlike the new A-Class) it still uses Mercedes' modular “sandwich” platform, the second generation of the B-Class is larger than its predecessor.

Monday, August 22, 2011

It wasn’t exactly the world's best-kept secret, and now, what appears to be the first (official) exterior photo of Mercedes-Benz's upcoming second generation B-Class, is also doing the internet rounds.

The new B-class will be seen by the public for the first time at the 2011 Frankfurt motor show next month, before sales roll out next year. With this model, Mercedes is targeting buyers who are mostly interested in versatility and comfort.

Friday, July 29, 2011

Earlier in July, Mercedes-Benz outline the shape and detailed the powertrain lineup for the new 2012 B-Class MPV. Now, the Stuttgart-based automaker is providing us with our first look at the tall compact model's inner works.

Looking at these photos, if there's one thing that stands out it’s that, unlike the exterior, which is an evolution of the current B-Class, the interior has been completely redesigned and features a more modern styling and premium feel than the sober cabin of today's model.

Monday, July 11, 2011

We’ll know all the ins and outs of the new 2012 B-Class in about two months time at the Frankfurt Motor Show, but Mercedes today provided us with the first official teaser photos and initial specifications of its small MPV that will go on sale in Europe in November.

While the shape and styling of the new B-Class won’t surprise anyone given the close proximity to the current model, there’s more than meets the eye about the Mercedes-Benz model.

Tuesday, June 21, 2011

Our team of spy photographers have snagged the production version of the upcoming 2012 Mercedes-Benz B-Class dressed in a see-through plastic wrap as the car was being loaded off the transportation truck.

Clearly descended from the current-generation of Stuttgart’s mini-MPV model, the new B-Class follows a more conservative styling language than its smaller sibling, the 2012 A-Class, official patent images of which we showed you in May (see here).

The five-seat 2012 B-Class is based on a new front-wheel drive platform which brings an increase in dimensions and consequently, improved interior space for both passengers and the luggage area.

The new B-class, dubbed W246, will benefit from an updated lineup of turbocharged four-cylinder engines with direct-injection and start/stop technologies in both diesel and petrol flavors.

It is believed that Mercedes-Benz will lift the covers off the new B-Class at the 2011 Frankfurt Motor Show this September with sales to follow next year. Mercedes-Benz officials have not revealed any plans to bring the B-Class to the USA.

Stay tuned for more spy shots as well as the actual production versions of both the 2012 A- and B-Class models as we’re nearing closer to their launch.

PHOTO GALLERY

SCOOP: 2012 Mercedes-Benz B-Class MPV is Same ol’ Same ol’…

Monday, May 30, 2011

Not too long ago, we brought you official design images of the brand new 2012 Mercedes-Benz A-Class sporting a five-door hatchback body styled after the impressive A-Class concept seen at the New York and Shanghai Auto Shows in April. Now we have some revealing spy shots of the upcoming 2012 B-Class minivan. Being that the next A-Class and its larger B-Class sibling belong to the same family, you would expect a similar design philosophy between the two models.

However, as these latest scoops demonstrate, that is not the case with the new 2012 B-Class. We had a very hard time telling the differences between the current B-Class and its successor, as the overall shape and styling of the small MPV have been kept intact. Nevertheless, the new B-Class is slightly longer than the current model, with the front and rear ends influenced by the latest crop of Mercedes-Benz cars and SUVs.

Friday, May 13, 2011

On January 30th, 2011, three Mercedes-Benz B-Class F-Cell models set out from Germany to travel around the globe covering 30,000 kilometers (about 18,700 miles) in 125 days to demonstrate the technical maturity and reliability of the world’s first series production fuel cell vehicle.
Read more »

Meet the 388HP V8-Powered and RWD Mercedes-Benz B55 [with Video]

Thursday, December 30, 2010

The regular Mercedes-Benz B-Class wasn’t exactly created with the motoring enthusiast’s needs in mind, but this one-off B55 special is another story. Trainees of Mercedes-Benzs Rastatt plant in Germany turned a B200 CDI diesel model into a full-blown sports car by planting in a 388 hp 5.5-liter V8 and transferring the drive from the front axle to the rear.

The idea of the project came from plant manager, Peter Wesp, while the execution fell on the shoulders of foremen Andreas Würz and Matt Rieger and a team of twelve second and third-year trainees specializing in production mechanics and automotive mechatronics.

The team aimed to fulfill several goals, drawn up in a book of specifications. According to the plan, the spatial concept as well as the body of the B-Class were to remain unchanged. The interior, however, was to be upgraded to reflect the newly acquired qualities and the overall goal was to create a vehicle suitable for everyday driving.