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Photo of a Mercedes-Benz B-Class

Mercedes-Benz B-Class

The original B-Class: compact Sports Tourer outside, up to 2245 liters of load space inside.12

Researched October 26, 2026 from 26 sources

At a glance

0150300
89–221 hpPower
0125250
160–250 km/hTop speed
0250500
140–450 N·mTorque
01,0002,000
1,300–1,785 kgWeight

The coral arc spans the family, from its mildest version to its wildest.1410121314

Engine
1.3–2.1 L gasoline/diesel I4s; natural gas, electric and hybrid versions14
Layout
Front-wheel drive; W246/W247 also offered 4MATIC AWD14
Gearbox
W245: 5/6-speed manual or CVT; later 6-speed manual, 7/8-speed DCT; EV 1-speed146
Built at
Rastatt, Germany; also Kecskemét, Hungary (W246/W247)14
Units built
First generation: over 740,000 (2005–2011)13

The story

Created for family travel and leisure, the original T 245 B-Class tucked its engine and gearbox partly beneath the cabin. Its sandwich construction freed space for rear knee room nearly matching the S-Class.2

2004: Vision B previews the Sports Tourer20042005: T 245 reaches the road20052008: Natural gas joins the 245 range20082011: W246 starts the MFA family20112014: Tesla power for the Electric Drive20142018: W247 brings MBUX to the family20182019: B 250 e: 450 Nm and electric range20192022: 48-volt boost for gasoline models2022 Mercedes-Benz Vision B: 2004Mercedes-Benz B-Class (T 245 / W245): 2005–2011T 245 / W245Mercedes-Benz B-Class (W246): 2011–2018W246Mercedes-Benz B-Class (W247): 2018–2026W247 200420062008201020122014201620182020202220242026
GenerationsBefore and afterMilestones124
Show the numbers
YearWhat happened
2004Mercedes-Benz Vision B
2005–2011Mercedes-Benz B-Class (T 245 / W245)
2011–2018Mercedes-Benz B-Class (W246)
2018–2026Mercedes-Benz B-Class (W247)
2004Vision B previews the Sports Tourer
2005T 245 reaches the road
2008Natural gas joins the 245 range
2011W246 starts the MFA family
2014Tesla power for the Electric Drive
2018W247 brings MBUX to the family
2019B 250 e: 450 Nm and electric range
202248-volt boost for gasoline models
  1. 2004

    Vision B previews the Sports Tourer

    Shown in Paris, Vision B used sandwich construction to fit the space of larger sedans and wagons into a compact body.2

  2. 2005

    T 245 reaches the road

    The B-Class went on sale in June. Its 2778 mm wheelbase gave rear passengers knee room almost matching the S-Class.2

  3. 2008

    Natural gas joins the 245 range

    The B 170 NGT BlueEFFICIENCY added gasoline and natural gas operation. Its extra tanks held 16 kg, while luggage space fell to 422 liters.3

  4. 2011

    W246 starts the MFA family

    The first MFA-based Mercedes entered production in November with a 6-speed manual or optional 7-speed dual-clutch gearbox.45

  5. 2014

    Tesla power for the Electric Drive

    Its Tesla hardware included a 28 kWh battery. EPA range was 140 km; a full charge was claimed to take 3.5 hours on 240 V.467

  6. 2018

    W247 brings MBUX to the family

    The first two generations had sold 1.5 million. The W247 brought MBUX, digital instruments and driver assistance borrowed from the S-Class.189

  7. 2019

    B 250 e: 450 Nm and electric range

    The B 250 e paired a 15.6 kWh battery with 215 hp and 450 Nm of combined output, plus a 56–67 km WLTP electric range.10

  8. 2022

    48-volt boost for gasoline models

    The facelift added 48-volt assistance to 1.3- and 2.0-liter gasoline engines. The B 250 e gained up to 77 km WLTP range and 11 kW AC charging.11

Every generation

  • Mercedes-Benz B-Class
    T 245 / W2452005–2011
  • Mercedes-Benz B-Class
    W2462011–2018
  • Mercedes-Benz B-Class
    W2472018–2026

Power over the years

From 94 hp to 221 hp in 13 years.

0100200300 2005201020152020 hp 2005 · 94 hp · B 1502005 · 138 hp · B 200 CDI2005 · 190 hp · B 200 Turbo2011 · 120 hp · B 180 BlueEFFICIENCY2011 · 154 hp · B 200 BlueEFFICIENCY2012 · 208 hp · B 250 BlueEFFICIENCY2013 · 89 hp · B 160 CDI2014 · 177 hp · Electric Drive2015 · 175 hp · B 220 CDI Sport 4MATIC2018 · 221 hp · W247 B 2502019 · 215 hp · B 250 e plug-in hybrid2023 · 161 hp · B 200 mild hybrid 221 hp W247 B 250 94 hp B 150
1246101315
Show the numbers
YearHorsepowerModel
200594B 150
2005138B 200 CDI
2005190B 200 Turbo
2011120B 180 BlueEFFICIENCY
2011154B 200 BlueEFFICIENCY
2012208B 250 BlueEFFICIENCY
201389B 160 CDI
2014177Electric Drive
2015175B 220 CDI Sport 4MATIC
2018221W247 B 250
2019215B 250 e plug-in hybrid
2023161B 200 mild hybrid

Versions

11 versions worth knowing, with their power.

  • W245 base, SE and Sport

    Standard

    W245 base, SE and Sport

    2005–2011

  • W246 SE, Sport, Style, Urban, AMG Line and Exclusive Edition

    Standard

    W246 SE, Sport, Style, Urban, AMG Line and Exclusive Edition

    2011–2018

  • Standard

    W247 Sport and AMG Line

    2019

  • B 170 NGT / B 180 NGT / B 200 Natural Gas Drive

    Standard

    B 170 NGT / B 180 NGT / B 200 Natural Gas Drive

  • B 250 e plug-in hybrid (W247)

    Standard

    B 250 e plug-in hybrid (W247)

    215 hp
  • B-Class Electric Drive / B250e

    Standard

    B-Class Electric Drive / B250e

    2014–2017

    177 hp
  • B 200 Turbo (W245)

    Performance

    B 200 Turbo (W245)

    2005–2010

    190 hp

  • Special

    Grand Edition / 125! Grand Edition (W245)

    2008 / 2011

  • B 180 / B 250 4MATIC Sports Edition Red

    Limited

    B 180 / B 250 4MATIC Sports Edition Red

    2015

  • B-Class F-CELL

    Limited

    B-Class F-CELL

    134 hp

  • Special

    B55

    383 hp

    1 built

How to spot one

Look for

  • W245: upright proportions and a larger body than the contemporary A-Class.116
  • W246: a tall hatchback roof and a large front grille.4
  • W247: trapezoidal headlights and horizontal rear lamps.19
  • W247: a roof spoiler and gloss-black fins beside the rear window.19
  • W247: smoother flanks, with the previous side sculpting removed.1

Year by year

  1. 2008 facelift

    W245 gets a revised front bumper with a large lower intake and three gray grille bars with chrome accents.13

  2. 2014–2015 facelift

    Petrol/diesel W246: a wider two-bar grille, larger bumper air ducts and daytime lights moved into the headlights.412

  3. 2014–2015 cabin

    W246 facelift offers an 8-inch freestanding display, revised instruments and 12-color ambient lighting.412

  4. 2022–2023 facelift

    W247 gets a new bumper and grille, fresh wheel designs up to 19 inches and new two-part LED taillights.111

  5. 2022–2023 cabin

    W247 gains a Nappa-leather steering wheel and redesigned center console; the turbine-style air vents remain.111

Don’t confuse it with

  • Photo of a Mercedes-Benz B-Class
    B-Class
    Photo of a B250e (Electric Drive)
    B250e (Electric Drive)

    B250e (Electric Drive)

    W246's B250e is battery-electric; W247's B 250 e is a plug-in hybrid with smoother sides.14

Against its rivals

  • B-Class vs VW Golf SV GT 2.0 TDI DSG

    0–60 mph lower is better

    B-Class7.8 s
    VW Golf SV GT 2.0 TDI DSG8.2 s
    15

Prices

Price when new
$0$20K$40K$60K 2014201620182020 2014 · $42,375 · US Electric Drive base2015 · $30,083 · Germany B 180; EUR~USD 1.112019 · $34,528 · UK B 180 Sport; GBP~USD 1.282019 · $36,064 · UK B 180 AMG Line; GBP~USD 1.28
49121426
Show the numbers
YearPriceAmountDetail
2014Price when new$42,375US Electric Drive base
2015Price when new$30,083Germany B 180; EUR~USD 1.11
2019Price when new$34,528UK B 180 Sport; GBP~USD 1.28
2019Price when new$36,064UK B 180 AMG Line; GBP~USD 1.28

The rest of the story is in the app

The full file tells why each version matters, the legend behind the car and what to check before buying one.

  • Versions

    • Why each of the 11 versions matters

  • Legend

    • 12 stories from its legend
    • “125 days around the world on hydrogen”
    • “Second place ahead of a Tesla Model S”

  • Generations

    • The story of each of the 4 generations

  • Market

    • 6 things to check before buying one
    • Where prices are heading, and why
Read the full file in SPOT

SPOT is free on iPhone. Full car files come with SPOT Plus.

Sources

Every fact on this page links to the source it rests on.

See all 26 sources
  1. Mercedes-Benz B-Class - Wikipedia en.wikipedia.org
  2. 245 series B-Class Sports Tourer, 2005 - 2008 mercedes-benz-publicarchive.com
  3. 245 series B-Class Sports Tourer, 2008 - 2011 mercedes-benz-publicarchive.com
  4. Mercedes-Benz B-Class (W246) - Wikipedia en.wikipedia.org
  5. Used Mercedes B-Class (Mk2, 2011-2019) review | Auto Express autoexpress.co.uk
  6. 2014 Mercedes-Benz B-class Electric Drive – Review – Car and Driver caranddriver.com
  7. 2014 Mercedes-Benz B-Class Electric Drive – First Drive motortrend.com
  8. [Review] 2019 Mercedes-Benz B-Class goodwood.com
  9. New Mercedes B-Class 2019: prices, specs and release date | Carbuyer carbuyer.co.uk
  10. EQ Power pour la première fois sur les Classe A et Classe B media.mercedes-benz.be
  11. Mercedes B-Class refreshed | CompleteCar.ie completecar.ie
  12. Mercedes-Benz Classe B, o pioneiro em sua melhor forma | Mercedes-Benz Cars & Vans Brasil - Imprensa imprensa.mercedes-benz.com.br
  13. Mercedes-Benz T 245 – Wikipedia de.wikipedia.org
  14. 2014 BMW i3 vs. 2014 Mercedes-Benz B-class Comparison Test caranddriver.com
  15. Mercedes B-Class vs Citroen C4 Picasso & VW Golf SV | Auto Express autoexpress.co.uk
  16. Used Mercedes B-Class buying guide: 2005-2012 (Mk1) | Carbuyer carbuyer.co.uk
  17. Mercedes - B-Class SE - Brochure - 2018 - 2018 onlymanuals.com
  18. メルセデス・ベンツ、Bクラスの特別仕様車「125! Grand Edition」3車種 - Car Watch car.watch.impress.co.jp
  19. 「B 180 Northern lights black LIMITED」を限定発売 media.mercedes-benz.jp
  20. 「B 180 Sports Edition Red」「B 250 4MATIC Sports Edition Red」を発表 media.mercedes-benz.jp
  21. Test-driving the Mercedes-Benz B55, the ultimate pocket rocket autoweek.com
  22. First circumnavigation of the world in a hydrogen-powered car | Guinness World Records guinnessworldrecords.com
  23. 新型B クラスのコミュニケーション活動 Hip Hop アーティスト“RIP SLYME”とコラボレーション media.mercedes-benz.jp
  24. Mit dem E-Car aufs Siegertreppchen firmenpresse.de
  25. La Nouvelle Classe B media.mercedes-benz.fr
  26. Used Mercedes B-Class (Mk3, 2019-date) review: a high class MPV with few rivals | Auto Express autoexpress.co.uk
  • en.wikipedia.org
  • mercedes-benz-publicarchive.com
  • autoexpress.co.uk
  • caranddriver.com
  • motortrend.com
  • goodwood.com
  • carbuyer.co.uk
  • media.mercedes-benz.be
  • completecar.ie
  • imprensa.mercedes-benz.com.br
  • de.wikipedia.org
  • onlymanuals.com
  • car.watch.impress.co.jp
  • media.mercedes-benz.jp

Photo credits

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