Mercedes B-Class

FIRST DRIVE Premium MPV benefits from updates that move it further upmarket

- Dean Gibson

The clock is on the Mercedes B-Class, with the company confirming that its premium five-seat MPV won't be replaced once production of the current generation ends. However, that hasn't prevented Merc from boosting the car's appeal with this mid-life update.

Much like the updated A-Class (driven in Issue 1,773), the B-Class benefits from a subtle exterior facelift that now includes adaptive LED headlights on all versions, but the big changes are reserved for the interior.

Recycled materials have been incorporated into the cabin's construction, but you'd be hard pressed to tell where they've been used, because the B-Class remains a premium product that features plenty of soft-touch materials and Merc's upmarket metal switchgear. There are hard plastics for the lower door trims, but overall this is a pleasant place to spend time.

In fact, if you've spent time at the wheel of an A-Class, then the B-Class will be very familiar, because the layout is all but identical. The only real clue that you're driving the MPV is the taller roofline and bigger glass area. The round of updates mean that the B-Class also benefits from the latest twin 10.25-inch displays, which offer crystal-clear, high-resolution graphics and plenty of functionality.

While most of these are reserved for the central touchscreen, the B-Class retains its bank of air-con controls below the trio of central air vents. There is a climate screen within the display itself, but it's nice to have a set of shortcut switches that let you make adjustments on the fly quickly and easily. These rocker switches and buttons have the upmarket feel that we've become familiar with from Mercedes's products, too.