Grille test: Mercedes-Benz B 180 CDI Urban
Events are happening rapidly, the car market is becoming more and more saturated. The Mercedes B-Class has two new rivals. The BMW 2 Active Tourer is actually a direct response to the solid sales success of the B-Class (380+ in three years), the Volkswagen Touran has also been completely refurbished after a long time. Not so long ago, class B "threatens" and Golf Sportsvan. Simultaneously with the facelift at the end of last year, just three years after production, the B-Class offer was supplemented by two alternative drive versions: the B Electric Drive and the B 200 Natural Gas Drive. But for the Slovenian market, the most interesting will still be the basic turbodiesel version with the addition of a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission marked 7G-DCT.
Novelties and changes compared to the B-class a year or two ago will really be discovered only by the owners at a glance. Basically, these are accessories or slightly more noble materials, especially for the interior. Our B class tested had an Urban trim, as well as some extra equipment that increased the price from the base by more than ten thousand. The most interesting accessories were Active Parking Assist with Parking Assist, auto-adjusting headlights with LED technology, automatic air conditioning, an infotainment system with a large free-standing center screen (Audio 20 CD and Garmin Map Pilot), and leather accessories on the car. seat covers - in addition to the already mentioned automatic transmission.
Of course, a matter of our taste is whether we really choose all of the above when we buy, but the B-Class does it all well, not least because a premium brand, and with it some luxury, is already a commitment. Since the launch of the new B, Mercedes has also begun to improve the fuel economy of its engines. While our first two test classes were the B 180 CDI with a 1,8-liter turbodiesel, the latter was already powered by a smaller, only 1,5-liter four-cylinder engine. Just a glance at the technical data showed that it was an engine supplied by Mercedes by its subcontractor Renault. In terms of power, it is no different from the previous one, and even more in terms of torque, although it is available at slightly higher speeds than the previous one.
So our acceleration measurements are very similar, a half-second difference can be attributed to the winter tires on this model. If we compare the acceleration measured in our previous test B 180 CDI 7G-DCT (AM 18-2013) with the current one, the difference is seven tenths of a second. However, much better fuel economy is noticeable, as test consumption is down a good liter and is indeed 5,8 liters. It's the same with consumption in our range of norms. With an average of 4,7 liters, this is very close to the factory readings for the standard average of 4,1 liters. Despite all the efficiency, the engine proved to be quite satisfactory in its characteristics. The engine, of course, will not satisfy those who would like to be fast everywhere, for them the B 200 CDI is probably the best choice, but then the economy will also deteriorate significantly.
It has been quite a long time since Class B outfitters had their first difficulties. In our first Test B, we noted that the sports suspension adds no value. And then we had to find out from the second that you can get a regular one in Mercedes, which makes the B-class acceptably comfortable, but at the same time no less agile and manageable. Well, in the second test, we didn't like that the collision warning system was too sensitive. Now Mercedes has fixed that! If not, Plus was added to the existing off-the-shelf Collision Prevention Assist system. The good news is that now on the small screen on the dashboard, red LEDs (five in total) light up, indicating how careful the driver is behind the wheel.
And in another reaction (probably to how often customers book) cruise control and a speed limiter are now standard. The Mercedes steering wheel with a special lever on the steering wheel on the left (combined with turn signals and wipers) is very useful as it can be used to adjust the speed in two ways: by sliding up or down to gradually add or decrease speed. one kilometer and more decisively jump a whole dozen. While it's hard to say that the B-Class is a classic minivan (Mercedes calls it the Sports Tourer), it's still different from regular cars.
However, it also differs from the classic one-room apartments. This is mainly due to the position of the driver's and front passenger's seats. The seats are not as high as the visibility. The B-class is also not very spacious (because of the height), but is quite elegant. We got a little offended with him for not having enough room for most (like a regular A4 folder) in all the other small rooms. All these tiny remarks don't change the fact that riding a B is undeniably enjoyable for most. After all, this is also evidenced by the results of measurements of the owners of the B-class - Mercedes says that more than 82 percent of users are very satisfied with it.
word: Tomaž Porekar
Mercedes-Benz B 180 City
Basic data
| Sales: | Autocommerce doo |
|---|---|
| Base model price: | 23.450 € |
| Test model cost: | 35.017 € |
| Power: | 80kW (109 KM) |
| Acceleration (0-100 km / h): | 11,9 with |
| Maximum speed: | 190 km / h |
| Mixed flow ECE: | 4,2l / 100km |
Costs (per year)
Technical information
| engine: | 4-cylinder - 4-stroke - in-line - turbodiesel - displacement 1.461 cm3 - maximum power 80 kW (109 hp) at 4.000 rpm - maximum torque 260 Nm at 1.750-2.500 rpm. |
|---|---|
| Energy transfer: | front-wheel drive - 7-speed dual-clutch robotic transmission - tires 225/45 R 17 H (Goodyear UltraGrip 8). |
| Capacity: | 190 km/h top speed - 0-100 km/h acceleration in 11,9 s - fuel consumption (ECE) 4,5/4,0/4,2 l/100 km, CO2 emissions 111 g/km. |
| Mass: | empty vehicle 1.450 kg - permissible gross weight 1.985 kg. |
| External dimensions: | length 4.393 mm - width 1.786 mm - height 1.557 mm - wheelbase 2.699 mm |
| Inner dimensions: | fuel tank 50 l. |
| Box: | 488-1.547 liters |
Our measurements
| T = 10 ° C / p = 1.037 mbar / rel. vl. = 48% / odometer status: 10.367 km | |
| Acceleration 0-100km: | 12,1s |
|---|---|
| 402m from the city: | 18,3 years ( 123 km / h) |
| Flexibility 50-90km / h: | Measurement is not possible with this type of gearbox. S |
| Maximum speed: | 190km / h (YOU ARE WALKING.) |
| test consumption: | 5,8 l / 100km |
| Fuel consumption according to the standard scheme: | 4,7 l / 100km |
| Braking distance at 100 km / h: | 43,2m |
| AM table: | 40m |
evaluation
After the renovation, the B-Class established itself even more as a complete family car, albeit with a somewhat unusual shape, and with its engine equipment it surprised with exemplary economy.
We praise and reproach
Transmission
consumption
sitting position
comfort
fire
ergonomics
motorcycle hrupen
transparency
small spaces for small items
combined functions of turn signals and wipers on one steering wheel (a matter of habit)
