New Mercedes Benz B class-out of the ordinary

Mercedes Benz - the new B class multi-purpose family car was introduced to Sri Lanka last week by Diesel and Motor Engineering Co Ltd (DIMO), the sole distributor for Mercedes Benz in Sri Lanka.

"The new B class brings luxury and refinement to family motoring. The B class sports tourers prove the Benz company's continuous effort in inventing cars out of the ordinary - in the automobile industry" said the Chairman and CEO of Diesel and Motor Engineering Co Ltd Rangith Pandithage.

As a business organisation DIMO is very concerned over the environment.

The Mercedes Benz B class sports tourer is also an environment friendly invention. As a group we encourage to import environment friendly fuel to Sri Lanka, he said.

Referring to the DIMO technical Training centre where 32 youth receive comprehensive automobile technical training per year, the Chairman said that strict instructions have been given that not a drop of oil should be found on the floor at the workshop.

B comes after A

At first sight, the new B-Class appears to have a lot in common with the A-Class, Mercedes-Benz's first-ever compact car. Like the A, the B-Class has an aggressively wedged-shaped body, its front end shortened by tucking the engine and transmission partly away beneath the passenger compartment (which has been designed with a special 'sandwich' double floor for added protection in case of accidents).

This body shape offers room for five adults, with plenty of back-seat legroom, as well as their luggage, inside the 'monospace' interior compartment. The seating layout is almost endlessly adjustable, with removable cushions and armrests that allow you to 'design' the best combination of passenger and luggage capacity for any purpose.

The B-Class body shape also results in minimal overhang at the four corners of the vehicle, making it easy to drive and park on Colombo's congested streets. In a nutshell, this is one of the most space-efficient cars available in Sri Lanka.

Luxury-Saloon performance

The B-Class comes in a variety of engine and transmission combinations, including diesel and petrol versions and the continuously-variable Autotronic transmission option premiered on the A-Class. While some of these mechanical options offer higher performance and others greater economy, all deliver luxury saloon-car performance and a 'driver feel' palpably superior to that of other multi-purpose vehicles of this kind. A parabolic rear axle offers stability and better cornering, even when the B-Class is heavily loaded.

Comfort within

Seated high above the road with panoramic all-round vision (plus an optional sunroof for that luxurious cabriolet feel), the B-Class driver is in a position of command. Ergonomically designed, fully adjustable seats upholstered in (material choices) cradle driver and passengers in comfort. Standard climate control features five airflow settings; optional Luxury Climate Control even allows each front-seat passenger to set their own preferred temperature, while correcting for external influences such as temperature, humidity and even the angle of sunlight.

A particularly useful feature is the multifunction steering wheel, which allows the driver to adjust the onboard entertainment system and use the optional telephone without taking his hands off the wheel. There are several entertainment and driver-information options, from the Audio 20 radio/CD player to the Comand APS system, which combines an onboard GPS-based navigation system with a radio and high-quality CD player.

Safety fast

With a family car, safety is always the most important consideration. The B-Class incorporates the best practices in automobile safety developed over the years by DaimlerChrysler. The special features of this vehicle include the placement of seats 20 cm above the usual position, keeping occupants above the critical impact zone, 'active' head restraints to reduce whiplash risk, a variety of sensors triggering safety warnings and functions such as ABS, steer control, electronic stability programming and a brake assist system.

Optional bi-xenon high-visibility headlamp clusters offer automatic headlamp levelling and cleaning, as well as 'cornering lights' that swivel when the steering wheel is turned, improving both safety and driver confidence.

In the event of a collision, driver, passenger and window airbags inflate for protection, along with side bags (standard for front-seat passengers, optional for rear) that are selectively triggered so that only the necessary ones are deployed.