2009 Mercedes B-Class B200 Turbo – A Practical Entry Level Mercedes Benz
Compact, Luxury Cars - Auto Comments (0)
The Mercedes Benz B-Class is a touch of luxury for an affordable price. This practical vehicle will attract cost conscious individuals who let’s say have the money, but do not want to spend splurge on a vehicle, because they don’t see the need to.
The B-Class starts at a price of $29,900 Canadian. One thing to note that this Mercedes is only available in Canada and Mexico, because Mercedes felt that the American market market didn’t need this entry level Mercedes due the fact that American’s generally spend more on their vehicles. However, with the current economic situation, the American market can probably use a less costly Mercedes vehicle.
The Mercedes B-Class combines seating for four people, plenty of space for cargo in a tall small SUV or wagon like frame. The styling is like a sporty coupe / compact car. It could be categorized as a tall wagon hatchback, but Mercedes calls it a “Compact Sport Tourer”
For 2009 the B-Class gets a new hood, front bumper that has larger air intakes, new grille, rear bumper with bumper guard, revised hatch handle and a wider back window. The B-Class is available in 2 models, the B200 and the B200 Turbo. The base B200 comes with a 2.0 liter inline 4 cylinder engine that puts out 134 horsepower at 5750 rpm and 136 ft/lb of torque at 3500 rpm. The choice of transmissions for the B200 are a 5 speed manual or the AUTOTRONIC CVT automatic transmission. A smaller engine and small car has its advantages the base model has a fuel efficiency of 9.2 liters per 100km in the city and 6.7 liters per 100km on the highway. The B200 Turbo is equipped with same 2.0 liter inline 4 cylinder engine but with a turbo charger and this ups the power output to 193 horsepower at 5000 rpm and 206 ft/lbs of torque. Its fuel mileage is 9.5 liters per 100km city and 7.4 liters per 100km on highway. The B200 AUTOTRONIC CVT automatic transmission is a $1500 option, acceleration is responsive, and the CVT provides adaptive and ideal gear ratios which helps with fuel economy.
The turbo chargerd version of the B200 does put a slight dent in the pocket books though, it adds an additional $5500 to the base price, so for the cost conscious Mercedes buyer they will have to a few factors to justify the difference in price.
The Mercedes B200 Turbo weighs in at 1395 kg or 3075 lbs with a $1500 upgrade which includes Sport Package (suspension and AMG 17 inch 5-spoke alloy wheels), this weight is considered lighter than competitor vehicles in the same category like the Toyota Matrix and Mazda 5.
The Mercedes B-Class has a pantented design that was first featured in the European A-Class, the design provides roominess and safety when adapted to the B-Class. The seating position is high so the driver has a good overall view of what is in front and sides. Seventy percent of the B-Class body is allocated for occupants and their luggage / storage. The B-Class is designed with the engine and transmission inclined with engine in front with transmission slightly below the passenger, this design is a big benefit to safety as in any crash the engine and transmission will be forced downward instead of going into the driver’s cabin.
The B200’s interior is more luxurious than a competitor vehicle in the same category like the Toyota Matrix or Mazda 5. For the B200 Turbo you add an optional panoramic lamella sunroof. The interior features 544 liters of cargo space which can be increased by folding down the second row seats to give 1530 liters of cargo room.
In short the Mercedes B200 Turbo is good way for cost conscious buyers to get a taste of luxury from an established premium car brand such as Mercedes without going overboard.
Related posts:
- 2015 Mercedes Benz GLA Class – Luxury Compact Crossover (CUV)
- 2014 Mercedes-Benz CLA 250 and CLA 45 AMG – Starter Mercedes For New Buyers
Editor @ June 23, 2010
