Mercedes’ latest B-Class looks sharper and sportier, but does it have what it takes to compete in the MPV market? We take a closer look.

MPVs are not renowned for getting the blood pumping, provoking more of an interest in practicality, how big the boot space is and the all important has it got seven seats? So, it was with great interest that we got hold of Mercedes’ latest B180. Will it set our pulses raising? It certainly looks sharper and sportier that it’s previous incarnation. We have high hopes, but there is only one way to find out - we needed to hit the road.

So, this is the third-gen B-Class, the other two have shifted a respectable 1.5 million units, which all in all, isn’t too shabby at all. What does an MPV need to offer, what makes it a success? Lots of room, ample comfort, everything designed with the passengers in mind. It needs decent tech and luxurious interiors, the money spent on the B-Class demands as such.

This B-Class, ours being the entry level 1.3-litre B180, looks sharper, at least better than it did before. It’s no A-Class but it has smatterings of its sportier smaller compatriot. It looks like a stretched hatchback and has a nicely poised front end - for an MPV - complimented by definitively thin, sleek headlights.

As you’d expect with a 1.3-litre engine, its not going to blow you away off the line, doing 0-62mph in 9.0-seconds and offering a top speed of 132mph. It drives as you would expect, but with the seven-speed twin-clutch, its relatively clean and responsive. So not all is lost. Plus, if you opt for larger powertrain options such as the B200, B250 petrol or the B220 4Matic then you’ll maybe find what you’re looking for with a bit more… oomph.

It’s a smooth, quiet and comfortable ride in the B180 and the suspension feels suited to most lumps and bumps, and it does what it was made for well, that is, carry people from point A to point B.

The B-Class has some of the best safety tech in its class, and you can choose the Driving Assistance Pack should you be of that ilk, ie, you want the car driven partially for you or you want the vehicle to interrupt you and tell you what to do. There’s a mother-in-law joke in there somewhere but I’ll leave it for now.

The interior is suitably plush, your passengers will coo and want to touch things and you, as the chauffeur, will feel good. Unless they want to touch either of the two standard seven-inch hi-res screens, as let’s face it - nobody likes a fingerprint. Where the B-class excels in interior, it lacks in space for goods, especially when compared against the very flexible and usefully designed Renault Scenic. But you can’t win them all.

If AI is your thing then all B-Class levels come with the Mercedes cloud-based voice activation, you talk, it learns, it listens, even suggesting destinations and radio stations for you. That’s all a bit Orwellian for me, but each to their own.

Furthermore, if you want to up the B-class specs then you can have bigger screens and various layout selections but, they might get in your way a bit. The spec choice is a pack offered as Executive, Premium and Premium Plus. The more you spend the bigger the screens get, sunroofs start appearing, seats become even more premium and so on and so forth.

All in all, we liked what we drove. It did the job carrying us around in relative comfort but then if you are of the more budget-conscious persuasion, perhaps something that is cheaper and more true to the useful MPV ethos might be for you, maybe a BMW 2 Series, maybe a Scenic. It is a comfortable ride and it looks and feels like a real Mercedes should, performance is the equivalent of a shoulder shrug, but get your hands on one and we think you’ll be more than happy.

Model tested: Mercedes B180 Auto

Price: £27,650

Engine: 1.3-litre petrol

Power: 132bhp

0-62mph: 9.0 seconds

Max speed: 130mph

MPG: 46mpg

CO2: 141g/km

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