After a leak earlier in the week, which we carried here, Mercedes-Benz has decided to reveal everything about their all new B-Class ahead of its world debut at Frankfurt next month. To sum it up, Stuttgart says that their new ‘Compact Sports Tourer’ is ‘substantially more agile and efficient, but as comfortable and spacious as ever’.

As expected, the new B-Class has a substantially bigger footprint that the car it replaces. At 4,359 mm long and 1,786 mm wide, it’s 89 mm longer and 9 mm wider, although the new car sits 46 mm lower than before. Accordingly, the seat height in relation to the road has also been reduced by 86 mm, for easier vehicle entry, says Merc. They add that in response to customer requests, the sitting position is now more upright.

For those at the back, which is important for this model, a lowering of the vehicle’s floor at the rear produces segment-leading rear legroom (976 mm) that even surpasses that of the E and S-Class! And despite the lower roofline, headroom has been further improved over the old car.

Additionally, there’s an Easy-Vario-Plus system that includes fore/aft adjustment of the rear seats by up to 140 mm (increasing boot volume from 488 to 666 litres) and a front passenger seat which backrest can be folded forward onto the seat cushion.

Now, the B’s new looks might not be agreeable to all, it’s hard to argue with its slippery drag coefficient of 0.26. This is helped by areas such as air flow around the front wheels, underbody design and the cooling air flow. Patents are pending for details such as the serrated wheel arch spoiler. An upcoming optional Eco Technology package will bring the Cd figure down to 0.24, which is on par with the E-Class Coupé and impressive for a hatchback shape.

The new M270 engines feature Merc’s third-generation direct injection system that first surfaced in last year’s BlueDirect V6 and V8 engines. Both are 1.6-litre turbocharged units with max torque available from 1,250 rpm. The one in the B 180 is rated at 122 hp and 200 Nm, while the B 200 has 156 hp and 250 Nm.

The diesels are based on the OM651 family used from the C to the S-Class, but with displacement scaled down to 1.8 litres and mounted transversely for the first time. The B 180 CDI generates 109 hp and 250 Nm from 1,400 rpm, while the B 200 CDI packs in 136 hp and 300 Nm from 1,600 rpm. All engines can be paired to a new 7G-DCT dual clutch transmission or a new six-speed manual, which Merc says is closely related to the DCT.

Mercedes promises improved agility, thanks to the new B’s lowered centre of gravity, a new four-link rear axle and the upgraded ESP. A sports suspension is optionally available. This one further lowers the ride height by 20 mm and features sports dampers with amplitude-selective damping and Direct-Steer (faster, sharper response) for the electromechanical steering.

The new B is build with a modular ‘Energy Space’ concept that’s designed to accommodate versions with an alternative drive. There are interfaces in the body shell that enables the floor panel to be easily modified, plus an underfloor compartment covering part of the area under the rear bench seat for ‘alternative energy accumulators’. So it looks like we can expect some sort of hybrid B-Class in the future, too.

Full gallery after the jump.
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This is the first official image of the all new Mercedes-Benz B-Class, leaked ahead of its world debut at the Frankfurt show. Aspects that have been improved over the current “Compact Sports Tourer”, which was launched back in 2005, include space, refinement, economy and safety.

Autocar UK reports that at launch, the B-Class will be powered by all-new 1.6-litre turbocharged units, transversely mounted, one with 121 bhp and 200 Nm, and another packing 154 bhp and 250 Nm, with max torque in both available from just 1,250 rpm. There will be two 1.8 diesels as well – 107 bhp/256 Nm and 134 bhp/300 Nm.

In an earlier exclusive, the mag revealed that Mercedes has dropped the expensive sandwich construction of the current A and B-Class. So the B sits on a new FWD platform that will be shared with the next A-Class and the F800 compact saloon. The suspension consists of front McPherson struts and a four-link item for the rear.

Hybrid versions are planned.

Not as exciting as the recently revealed AMG version, but potent enough for most, and frugal at that. Diesel has finally found its way on to the Mercedes-Benz SLK, and the first oil burner form of the roadster is the SLK 250 CDI.

The two-seater is equipped with a 2,143 cc four-cylinder turbo mill, offering 204 hp and 500 Nm. Performance specs include a 0-100 kph sprint time of 6.7 seconds and a 241 kph top speed. The lump is partnered with a 7G-TRONIC PLUS automatic transmission as standard, with a six-speed manual transmission to come about in the second quarter of next year.

Like all SLK models, the SLK 250 CDI features a start/stop system as standard. Externally, the diesel is no different in appearance from the petrol models, retaining even the twin exhaust system.

The car is available with a choice of three versions of the famous vario-roof, one of them the panoramic vario-roof with MAGIC SKY CONTROL. There are also three suspension versions available: a conventional steel suspension, a sports suspension with a stiffer spring and damper setup or a suspension with an electronically controlled, fully automatic damping system.
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UPDATE: Hi res gallery of beauty and actions shots added

Mercedes-Benz has revealed its most powerful SLK to date, the latest SLK55 AMG, ahead of its Frankfurt world debut. As the range topping performance flagship of the third-generation SLK that was launched in June, the SLK55 AMG gets a new AMG 5.5-litre V8 engine with 415 hp and 540 Nm of torque, good for a 0-100 km/h dash in 4.6 seconds. Top speed is, as usual, restricted to 250 km/h.

No downsized twin-turbo V6 here, the SLK55 gets a naturally aspirated V8 with a “typical exhaust growl which only a large-displacement eight-cylinder engine can produce,” says Merc. This new M152 unit is based on the AMG M157 5.5-litre V8 biturbo engine that debut last year, and seeing service in the AMG versions of the E, CLS, S and CL.

Identical design features include the displacement, bore/stroke, distance between cylinders, ECO stop/start system and direct injection technology. Things unique to the M152 are the new intake air ducting, new cylinder heads, the modified valve drive, an adapted oil supply system and an optimised crankcase.

AMG boasts that no other petrol engine features direct injection at 2,900 psi pressure, spray-guided combustion and piezo injectors, all in conjunction with map-controlled cylinder shut-off, an all-aluminum crankcase with “spectacle” honing, four-valve technology with continuous camshaft adjustment, a high compression ratio of 12.6:1, stop/start and generator management – while revving to a maximum speed of over 7,000 rpm.

Did you notice ‘cylinder shut off’ from the list? That’s a new feature developed completely by Mercedes-AMG where cylinders two, three, five and eight are cut off under partial load, which lowers fuel consumption considerably.

Available over a wide range from 800 to 3,600 rpm if the driver has selected transmission mode C (for Controlled Efficiency), there’s still 230 Nm available in four-pot mode (enough for regular driving), and the reactivation process at 3,600 rpm takes no more than 30 milliseconds. By the way, this tech is also used in the 750 hp V8 engines in Formula 1.

Another new tech is the AMG sports exhaust system featuring a flap on each side. This resolves the trade off between an emotional exhaust note during spirited driving and a more discreet engine sound in the partial load range.

At engine speeds below 2,000 rpm the flaps remain closed. When the driver accelerates, the flaps open at an angle of 15, then 30 and up to 50 degrees. Under full load, the flaps are fully opened so one can hear the full AMG rumble.

Power is transferred to the rear wheels by the AMG Speedshift Plus 7G-Tronic auto ‘box with three transmission modes: Controlled Efficiency (C), Sport (S) and Manual (M). The automatic rev-matching function when downshifting shortens shift times, while a double turbine torsional damper with centrifugal pendulum adapts to engine speed and helps minimise vibrations in four-cylinder mode.

To improve handling, the SLK55 comes with AMG sports suspension with Torque Vectoring Brakes and AMG Direct-Steer system, the latter with a parameter function adapted to match the suspension.

There’s also an AMG-exclusive 3-stage ESP that gives individual control choices at the touch of a button: “ESP ON”, “SPORT Handling Mode” and “ESP OFF” for the very brave or very good.

After all the meat, here’s the garnish. The SLK55 is set apart by AMG light-alloy wheels, exclusive AMG body styling with AMG spoiler lip and two chrome-plated twin tailpipes at the rear.

Inside, the highlights are the AMG-specific analog clock featuring an IWC design, the AMG Performance steering wheel, with its flattened top and bottom sections (also has aluminum shift paddles), and the AMG instrument cluster plus main menu.

A hi res gallery of beauty and action shots is after the jump. Good wallpaper material!
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