Merecedes B Class Review Car Business CFCN 04 04 2009 13 58 02 NEW

**Exploring the Mercedes-Benz b-Class: A Compact, Fuel-Efficient Wagon Designed for Canada**

In this article, we take you on a journey to Prince Edward Island, where we explore the Mercedes-Benz b-Class, a compact and fuel-efficient vehicle that has captured attention in the Canadian market. Known as "The Garden of the Gulf," this car is an intriguing blend of style, luxury, and practicality.

### Introduction to the Mercedes-Benz b-Class

The Mercedes-Benz b-Class was first introduced in Canada approximately three years ago, with 8,400 units sold during its initial release. For the 2009 model year, it has undergone a refresh and restyling, though the changes to the exterior are minimal. The vehicle retains much of its original design, with only minor alterations to plastic components. Despite these subtle updates, the b-Class remains a familiar figure on Canadian roads.

### Exterior Design: Subtle Changes, Familiar Appeal

Upon closer examination, the exterior of the b-Class appears almost identical to its predecessor. While some may question the necessity of such a modest facelift, the car's compact and sleek design continues to appeal. The vehicle's styling is reminiscent of European aesthetics, which has always resonated well in Canada. Unlike the United States, where consumers have historically shown a preference for SUVs and trucks, Canadians have embraced hatchbacks and wagons like the b-Class.

### Interior Redesign: A Step Up in Luxury

The interior of the b-Class tells a different story. The cabin has been significantly enhanced, offering a more luxurious experience that justifies its price point. The interior design is both comfortable and intuitive, with most controls placed within easy reach. However, one notable flaw remains: the placement of the windshield wiper control behind the steering wheel, making it difficult to access while driving.

### Price Point and Competition

The b-Class starts at a reasonable $29,999, but options can quickly escalate the price to around $42,000. Despite this, the vehicle holds its own against competitors like the Audi A3, Mini Clubman, and Volvo V50. Mercedes-Benz positions the b-Class as an entry-level luxury vehicle, offering a unique blend of status and practicality.

### Safety Features: A Priority in Design

Safety is at the forefront of the b-Class's design. The "sandwich concept" ensures that in the event of a collision, the engine slides under the car rather than intruding into the cabin. This feature, combined with advanced driver-assistance systems like electronic stability program and cornering brake control, makes the vehicle particularly safe, especially in winter conditions.

### Sales Performance: A Niche Market Hit

Despite its numerous advantages, the b-Class has not achieved the sales volumes of some competitors. With only 3,000 units sold annually, there is potential for growth. However, Mercedes-Benz appears content with its current position, focusing on a niche market rather than chasing higher sales figures.

### Conclusion: A Car Designed for Europe, Adapted for Canada

The b-Class exemplifies how a vehicle designed for European markets can thrive in Canada, particularly during periods of rising fuel prices. While it may not appeal to everyone, its blend of luxury, safety, and practicality makes it a compelling choice for those seeking a compact wagon with a touch of elegance.

As we look ahead, the automotive landscape continues to evolve, with Toyota planning to introduce a new model soon—though they insist on avoiding the term "station wagon." For now, the b-Class remains a standout in its category, proving that sometimes, less is indeed more.

"WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: ennow let's go all the way East to Prince Edward Island The Garden of the gulf I arrived in the village of Victoria along the north umberland straight in Mercedes-Benz answer to the small wagon it's the bclass this compact relatively light and fuele efficient vehicle was first introduced in Canada about 3 years ago and 8,400 of the first generation were sold now it's been freshened up and restyled for 2009 well the first thing you ask yourself is why did they bother I mean what kind of facelift is this it's virtually identical to the previous one you know they changed the plastic bits but uh nothing significant on the outside ah but in the inside it's a different story you know you're paying the big bucks here for so-called entry luxury and you want to enter into something luxurious and I can tell you this cabin is a beauty I mean they've really figured out their interior design nicely it is comfortable most everything is just where you want it with one exception this is called find the windshield wiper control it's buried it's behind the steering wheel you can't possibly see it while you're driving unless you turn the wheel and you'll fly off the road you got to reach around like this to to to find the controls stupid place to put it and then this thing this is the cruise control windshield wipers turn signals no cruise control I I it's got me Bamboozled uh however apart from that may major blunder I do think the rest of the cabin is um a thing of relative Beauty and here's something else I like the hatchback hatchback good but price bad you know they've started these things under $30,000 $ 2999999 but you get into a MC for 30 grand however they sell you they upsell you you add some luxuries to this thing the one I'm sitting in is $42,000 dollar well I mean for a matrix siiz vehicle I I just think that's too much under the hood of the uh standard model is that 4cylinder 136 horsepower engine it pushes you along fine if you want a little more oomph for $4,000 they'll slap a turbo on the thing and then you get 190 but you don't need it now that engine I showed you is is down low it's down here but look the floor is up high so that means if you smack into something the engine is going to go under you not into you it also gives you a nice high driving position the sandwich concept they call that you don't have to worry about traffic jams or squeezing into tight parking spaces in this little town but if you did the bclass would be well soothed it's not the cheapest small Wagon on the market but it is the least expensive way to own something with the status of the Mercedes threep pointed star this car was designed in Europe for Europe they don't even sell it in the United States it was never intended for North America why is it suitable for Canada well Canada we've never had that aversion to the design of this car we haven't had aversion to hatchbacks we haven't had the aversion to wagons uh that the Americans traditionally have so this car there was never any question that this this car was right for Canada even if it wasn't right for the US yeah I like it it's also it has a lot of technology in it that you know it's under the surface what do you think is most important about it for me it's the safety aspect the sandwich design of the car the sandwich concept we call it the engine's actually mounted at a 45° angle so what that means is that in in the event of a frontal Collision the engine will actually slide right along the firewall underneath the car there's no chance of it intruding into the cabin and I tried to skit it off the road and it wouldn't let me do it absolutely not full uh we have our electronic stability program cornering brake control steer control uh very hard especially in Winter conditions you you have to really try to get the bclass out of line there's so many safety systems working seamlessly behind while you're driving that it's it's it's very much difficult to get to get this car out of line it's a compact vehicle and you say you sell them under $30,000 but for $2 299999 I mean nobody buy that it doesn't even have an automatic transmission why don't it bring the price down why why don't we bring the price down well we're already priced very very competitively against the premium competitors that we uh that we sell against the Audi A3 cars like that we're in line with other premium entries like the mini Clubman the Volvo v50 so we feel we're very comfortable where the bclass is position but I'm right and you're wrong because you only sell 3,000 of these things a year you should be selling 10,000 12,000 the price down you would but we El sell every one of our main competitors absolutely Matrix you know they'd sell 100 times more certainly and if Toyota was our direct competitor I I would uh I would certainly agree with you but we will never uh aspire to that kind of volume with the bclass in Canada definitely not the bclass has been a surprise hit for Mercedes in Canada it shows how a wagon designed for the high petrol prices of Europe can catch on over here when our fuel prices start to soar after the break something new from Toyota but don't call it a station wagonnow let's go all the way East to Prince Edward Island The Garden of the gulf I arrived in the village of Victoria along the north umberland straight in Mercedes-Benz answer to the small wagon it's the bclass this compact relatively light and fuele efficient vehicle was first introduced in Canada about 3 years ago and 8,400 of the first generation were sold now it's been freshened up and restyled for 2009 well the first thing you ask yourself is why did they bother I mean what kind of facelift is this it's virtually identical to the previous one you know they changed the plastic bits but uh nothing significant on the outside ah but in the inside it's a different story you know you're paying the big bucks here for so-called entry luxury and you want to enter into something luxurious and I can tell you this cabin is a beauty I mean they've really figured out their interior design nicely it is comfortable most everything is just where you want it with one exception this is called find the windshield wiper control it's buried it's behind the steering wheel you can't possibly see it while you're driving unless you turn the wheel and you'll fly off the road you got to reach around like this to to to find the controls stupid place to put it and then this thing this is the cruise control windshield wipers turn signals no cruise control I I it's got me Bamboozled uh however apart from that may major blunder I do think the rest of the cabin is um a thing of relative Beauty and here's something else I like the hatchback hatchback good but price bad you know they've started these things under $30,000 $ 2999999 but you get into a MC for 30 grand however they sell you they upsell you you add some luxuries to this thing the one I'm sitting in is $42,000 dollar well I mean for a matrix siiz vehicle I I just think that's too much under the hood of the uh standard model is that 4cylinder 136 horsepower engine it pushes you along fine if you want a little more oomph for $4,000 they'll slap a turbo on the thing and then you get 190 but you don't need it now that engine I showed you is is down low it's down here but look the floor is up high so that means if you smack into something the engine is going to go under you not into you it also gives you a nice high driving position the sandwich concept they call that you don't have to worry about traffic jams or squeezing into tight parking spaces in this little town but if you did the bclass would be well soothed it's not the cheapest small Wagon on the market but it is the least expensive way to own something with the status of the Mercedes threep pointed star this car was designed in Europe for Europe they don't even sell it in the United States it was never intended for North America why is it suitable for Canada well Canada we've never had that aversion to the design of this car we haven't had aversion to hatchbacks we haven't had the aversion to wagons uh that the Americans traditionally have so this car there was never any question that this this car was right for Canada even if it wasn't right for the US yeah I like it it's also it has a lot of technology in it that you know it's under the surface what do you think is most important about it for me it's the safety aspect the sandwich design of the car the sandwich concept we call it the engine's actually mounted at a 45° angle so what that means is that in in the event of a frontal Collision the engine will actually slide right along the firewall underneath the car there's no chance of it intruding into the cabin and I tried to skit it off the road and it wouldn't let me do it absolutely not full uh we have our electronic stability program cornering brake control steer control uh very hard especially in Winter conditions you you have to really try to get the bclass out of line there's so many safety systems working seamlessly behind while you're driving that it's it's it's very much difficult to get to get this car out of line it's a compact vehicle and you say you sell them under $30,000 but for $2 299999 I mean nobody buy that it doesn't even have an automatic transmission why don't it bring the price down why why don't we bring the price down well we're already priced very very competitively against the premium competitors that we uh that we sell against the Audi A3 cars like that we're in line with other premium entries like the mini Clubman the Volvo v50 so we feel we're very comfortable where the bclass is position but I'm right and you're wrong because you only sell 3,000 of these things a year you should be selling 10,000 12,000 the price down you would but we El sell every one of our main competitors absolutely Matrix you know they'd sell 100 times more certainly and if Toyota was our direct competitor I I would uh I would certainly agree with you but we will never uh aspire to that kind of volume with the bclass in Canada definitely not the bclass has been a surprise hit for Mercedes in Canada it shows how a wagon designed for the high petrol prices of Europe can catch on over here when our fuel prices start to soar after the break something new from Toyota but don't call it a station wagon\n"