Press Kit: The new-generation B-Class

OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASE

Equipment: "B" for beautiful

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New safety and comfort systems as standard
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Innovations for automatic parking and fuel economy
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Equipment packages for even more comfort, elegance and sportiness

Stuttgart, May 20, 2008 - In presenting the B-Class in summer 2005, Mercedes-Benz produced the blueprint for a new, future-oriented market segment and a new species of car which precisely meets the wishes of today�s motorists. The Sports Tourer combines generous spaciousness and great practicality with a dynamic design and a high level of driving pleasure. In other words, a touring, family and recreational car with an incomparable added experience value in terms of design and dynamism.

To date the B-Class has won over more than 350,000 drivers, making it one of the most successful new Mercedes model launches in recent years. For the product planners, designers and engineers this meant that there was actually little reason to make changes, however they have put together a highly appealing package of model facelift measures and given the Sports Tourer a more attractive profile than before in terms of safety, environmental compatibility, economy and comfort. These are supplemented with discreet but certainly effective design modifications which make for a more youthful appearance and emphasise the agility of the B-Class. In short: a successful makeover in every respect.

The extensive standard equipment of this model will be even more generous from spring 2008. At no extra cost, Mercedes customers will have the benefit of newly developed systems which further enhance their safety and comfort. These include for example headlamp assist, which switches on the vehicle lights automatically when the car enters a tunnel or an underground car park, hill-start assist, which prevents the vehicle from rolling backwards when moving off on an uphill gradient, and flashing brake lights which effectively warn following traffic when danger occurs. Power windows with one-touch control are also standard equipment, as is a steering column adjustable for reach and crash-responsive emergency lighting.

New standard features at a glance:

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Larger-capacity stowage compartment between the front seats
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Exterior mirrors, door handles and side skirt panels painted in the vehicle colour
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Hill-start assist
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Adaptive, flashing brake lights
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Crash-responsive emergency lighting
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Cup holders in a new design
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Power windows with one-touch control
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Headlamp assist
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Steering column also adjustable for reach
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Loading sill protection in black-grained plastic
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New-design wheel trims
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Upholstery fabrics in a new design
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Ambient and warning light in the tailgate

Premiere for innovative new developments

High-tech systems from the Mercedes-Benz luxury class are available as optional extras for the B-Class, making the Sports Tourer more comfortable, more versatile - and more unique. One outstanding technical highlight is the new active parking assist, which helps the driver to reverse into parking spaces and carries out all the necessary steering movements automatically. Another new development, which Mercedes-Benz is offering in the A and B-Class for the first time, is the ECO start/stop function, which switches off the engine automatically when idling.
And finally there is a choice of three new infotainment units, which boast a colour display, Bluetooth interface, telephone keypad and a connection for external audio units. The new top-of-the-line Audio 50 APS and COMAND APS units also have additional functions such as Europe-wide navigation and a DVD drive. COMAND APS is also equipped with a voice control system as standard.

The newly developed optional extras for the B-Class at a glance:


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Active parking assist
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Audio 20, on request also with an integrated 6-disc CD changer
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Audio 50 APS with Europe-wide DVD navigation, on request with an integrated 6-disc DVD changer
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COMAND APS with HDD navigation and map display
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ECO start/stop function (for B 150 and B 170 with manual transmission)
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16-inch light-alloy wheels in a 5 twin-spoke design (standard for B 200 CDI and B 200 TURBO)
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17-inch light-alloy wheels in a 10-spoke or 5 twin-spoke design
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LINGUATRONIC voice control with whole-word commands
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LOGIC7 surround sound system
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Media interface for external music units

A number of optional extras are also included in the attractive equipment packages which Mercedes-Benz has put together for the B-Class. These are:

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The Exterior Chrome package, which includes matt-silver painted, chrome-embellished radiator grille louvres, fog lamps with chrome surrounds, a polished stainless steel exhaust tailpipe and stainless steel loading sill protection.
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The Light and Sight package , which includes a rain sensor for the windscreen wiper, headlamp switch-off delay, locator lighting, an automatically dimming rear-view mirror, reading lights in the rear, a reading light for the driver and footwell lights in the front.
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The Sports package, which has the same features as the chrome package and also includes a leather-covered steering wheel and shift lever, an instrument cluster with white illumination, pedals with stainless steel caps and rubber studs, 17-inch light-alloy wheels and a sports suspension.
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The seat comfort package with a height-adjustable front passenger seat, adjustable seat cushion angle and lumbar supports in the front.

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