Vehicle: 2006 Mercedes-Benz B200 Turbo with Vision & Light Pkg and Mytle wood trim
Price as tested: CDN$37560

Performance: The B-Class is powered by one of two engines. A base 130hp 2.0L normally aspirated or the one in our tester, an turbocharged 2.0L 8-valver that bumps out 193 ponies and 206 lb/ft of torque. While the normally aspirated version is more than adequate in B-Class’s application, the turbo is the engine of choice. Its refined, smooth, flexible and completely free of turbo lag. The acceleration is quick without losing the demanor you expect from a Mercedes-Benz. Throttle response is very linear. Thanks to the excellent 7-speed Continuously Variable Transmission, or CVT, the engine always rev in low gearing at highway speed. At 120 km/h, it clocked at a lowly 2k rpm which is very impressive for a ppl mover that has a curb weight of nearly 1300 kg. This engine is equally impressive at high rpm, as it never seems to run out of breathe when pushed hard. Given the extra 3 grand difference between the turbo and non-turbo; its a no brainer choice to take the former.

Handling: As impressive as the engine itself, the dynamic qualities left something to be desired. On the one hand, Mercedes-Benz’s merits remain intact. A solid chassis which creates an excellent foundation for suspensions to hang on. The ride quality provides enough softness without losing the suppleness that is typical of European car. On the othe hand, B-Class suffers from terrible amount of body rolls when pushed. Even with the instrusive ESP, there are just way too much understeer dialled in. In terms of steering, its precise but totally lack of feedback usually associated with Mercedes products. Last but not least, B-Class is very sensitive to crosswinds due to its high center of gravity. The bottom line: If you are looking for a fun hot hatch, B-Class is not a car for you.

Brakes: With standard 4-wheel discs and ABS, B-Class exhibits similar impressive braking performance as with other Mercedes-Benzes. The stops are short and straight. Pedal feel is top-notch and firmness is very easily to modulate. The ABS also doesn’t kick-in until absolutely necessary.

Interior: The cargo capacity of B-Class is simply second-to-none. After you folded down the 50/50 split rear seats, it increases the volume from an already large 550 to amazing 1530 liters. You also get low liftover and wide loading space.

As with all Mercedes, the seats are comfortable with excellent back and side support. The pleasant surprise is the cloth seats of all very high-quality materials instead of el cheapo that we used to experience in C-Coupe. The instrumentation gauges are clear and analog. Both the climate control and stereo are placed in a very ergonomically locations for easy access in center console. However, there are still plenty of hard plastic that reminds you of Mercedes’s cost-cutting measure.

The back seat space is as spacious as its cargo space. With tons of head and legrooms. Its also wide enough to seat 3 full-sized adults comfortably.

Conclusion: The B-Class is a welcome addition to Mercedes’s family. Its affordable admission price will entice lots of consumers into Mercedes dealers. They will be attracted by its versatile interior and flexability. It also got plenty of power if you opt for the turbo engine. On a contrary, if you are looking for a fun hot hatch. Look elsewhere because B-Class is more of a comfortable people mover instead of a nimble hatchback.

OVERALL VERDICT FOR 2006 MERCEDES-BENZ B200 TURBO
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Performance: 4/5
Handling and ride/fun-to-drive: 2/5
Interior/ergonomics/user-friendliness: 4/5
Fit-and-finish/build quality: 4/5
Cargo/accessibility/layout: 5/5
Value-for-money: 4/5

Overall rating: 4/5