These revisions help it to change direction more quickly than lesser versions, and it doesn’t suffer from too much lean in bends, but the stiffer set-up takes its toll on the ride. It’s noticeably bouncy at times, and you can feel the dampers struggling to control the rebound as the wheels crest vicious bumps. You can also hear it working away underneath you, which ordinarily isn’t something you’d associate with a Mercedes product.
The AMG Line has a variable ratio power steering rack and the Sports Direct-Steer system. There's no feedback through the wheel, but assistance is suitably light at parking speeds and then loads up heavily as you pick-up speed and apply more lock.
While dynamically the B-Class has its challenges, things improve when you focus your attention to its practicality. In the front there’s masses of leg and head room and a comfortable, upright driving position. It could only be improved by an inch or two more reach for the steering wheel and more lateral support from the seats. The ergonomics are sound and the materials used throughout the cabin match the quality you’d associate with the Mercedes brand.
In the back the headroom remains ample, although taller adults will find their knees pressed into the front seats. Rear passengers also get picnic trays that fold out from the back of the front seats.
The 486-litre boot can’t match the Golf SV’s for size, but you can increase this by sliding the rear seats forward a few inches. However, this is at the expense of rear legroom, which becomes fit for small children only.
To convert the whole of the rear into a cargo bay you only need fold the rear backrests via a tug of a cord, while you can raise the boot’s floor to create a completely flat surface.
The AMG Line comes with an 8in screen controlled with a rotary dial mounted on the centre console. This makes it easier to use on the move than many touchscreen systems, but it’s still not blessed with the functionality of BMW’s iDrive.
Manmade-leather upholstery and Bluetooth are standard, as are safety features such as collision prevention assistance, reversing camera and a new driver fatigue indicator.
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Merc B Class
B-class. Apparently an
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The BMW 220d Active Tourer M Sport (not the X Drive version) is £28,655 OTR, according to the January 2015 price list.
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Presumably you used the price list that BMW sends you with just the lowest priced versions on it?