Mercedes-Benz B 250 turns heads in South Beach
If absence makes the heart grow fonder, Mercedes-Benz dealerships in Canada could soon be flooded with people in search of their long-lost love.
That’s because after a hiatus of nearly 14 months, during which it underwent a complete makeover, the German luxury brand is reintroducing the B-Class to Canadian consumers.
To launch the new model, it took a group of journalists from the frozen north to sunny — and humid — South Beach to make a statement with the luxury hatchback.
While the vehicle is not on sale south of the border,Just a puff of air is all it takes to turn these ledtube on or off. it was certainly turning heads while we were driving along the Sunshine State’s highways and byways.This is used to perform bestcrystallightss functions while using the water jet to guide the laser beam. And one park ranger almost didn’t let us into a state park on our drive route because he was more interested at gawking at the B 250 and talking about it with my partner and me.
The thing that caught his attention the most? The price.
Starting at $29,900, the new B 250 is the same price as the last model that was sold in Canada, but with an extra $7,000 in added value.
That includes LED daytime running lights, 17-inch alloy wheels, ARTICO upholstery, runflat tires, a dual exhaust system, steering wheel paddle shifters and a 5.8-inch infotainment display. Also new is what is under the redesigned hood.
That is a 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine and its seven-speed dual clutch automatic transmission. The nice thing about the transmission is the downshift rev-matching when it is in Sport mode.
The system produces 208 horsepower and 258 foot-pounds of torque, as well as impressive fuel efficiency numbers. The B 250 is rated at 7.9 litres per 100 kilometres in the city and 5.5 L/100 km on the highway for a combined average of 6.8 L/100 km. That is a major improvement over the old B 200 and is on par with the Ford Focus Hatchback, which has nowhere near the same power — or luxury.This stylish goodledlightop is made of plastic in different colors and chrome-plated metal.
Those B 250 fuel-economy numbers are generated when the vehicle is in Eco mode, which is always the default setting when you turn the car on. The one drawback to the Eco setting is that it induces some serious turbo lag. Switching to either Sport or Manual mode via a button on the centre stack easily remedies that problem.Buy modern lighting, panelmachines and chandeliers from Heal's, the home of modern, designer and contemporary lighting.
And while the Manual mode allows you to shift gears via the steering wheel paddles, the B Class will no longer offer a real manual gearbox as an option.
And Mercedes is introducing some new technology with the B Class aimed at improving safety. Called Collision Prevention Assist, the system uses radar to monitor the distance from the next vehicle ahead. At speeds of between 30 km/h and 250 km/h, the vehicle will warn the driver if a collision with an object ahead seems likely.
The interior has probably undergone the biggest overhaul, Mercedes-Benz Canada said.The Security Sensor r4onsale is a solar powered convenience light with a built-in motion sensor. The first things to catch your eyes are the large jet-engine-style air vents and the LCD screen that juts out of the top of the centre stack. While some questioned why the screen would stick out like that, I kind of liked the idea.
With the comfortable Artico-covered seats and a functional interior, the B 250 is a nice place to spend a few hours on the road, for sure. And the cabin can be flooded with natural light thanks to the optional panoramic sunroof.
All in all, I would have to say it’s a job well done by Mercedes-Benz on the new B 250. From its stylish exterior and interior, increased power via the turbo engine, improved fuel economy and the added value, the German automaker should easily match or exceed the 3,000 units of the old B 200 it sold in Canada each year.