Mercedes-Benz B-class review - Practical people-mover not Mercedes' best effort - Mercedes-Benz B-class interior and tech
A compact MPV for those that value the Merc badge
One of the main reasons for buying a car like the B-class is interior space and flexibility. After all, it's effectively a tall five-door, five-seat hatchback. The benefits are subtle at first, but the B-class is particularly easy to get in and out of and the upright seating position is comfortable and gives a good view out. Likewise, the wide-opening rear doors make it easy to lift small kids in and out or for adults to get in.
There they'll find generous head- and legroom while the rear bench seat slides fore and aft to split up passenger and luggage space as needs be and there's a height adjustable boot floor - a boot that holds between 486- and 1547 litres. In the cabin itself there are loads of stowage areas, including boxes under the front seats.
And it's quite an attractive cabin too, using five bold round alloy air vents (we're not sure B-class buyers will care that they're inspired by those in the SLS AMG), an attractive - but not touch-sensitive - seven-inch free-standing display screen with a tactile rotary controller and a good-looking (and good to hold) range of three-spoke leather steering wheels.
SD card satnav is £495, while a full-on hard disk drive system costs £1495. Mercedes also offers buyers a host of advanced active safety systems, but the standard specification is particularly good in that regard already. Electric models are only slightly different inside to their combustion counterparts - you'll find blue stitching to the interior trim and a blue glow to the ambient lighting, with different instruments that show the machinations of the electric drivetrain.
