The second generation Mercedes-Benz B-Class arrived in April 2012 and was charged with reinvigorating the German marque’s small car fortunes in Australia.<br /><br />The new B-Class maintained the same tall, boxy shape of the original, but to appeal to more buyers in the premium small car segment, the company cut the price of some variants.<br /><br />The B-Class came in three specifications, entry-level B180, B200 petrol and B200 CDI diesel.<br /><br />Kicking off the range, the B180 was powered by a 1.6-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine that produced 90kW of power and was good for a claimed 6.1 litres per 100km on the combined cycle.<br /><br />The same engine was used in the B200 but was modified to produce 115kW while still producing the same fuel consumption figures as the B180.<br /><br />Topping the range, the B200 CDI got an all-new 1.8-litre turbo diesel, capable of 100kW and with a claimed consumption of 4.7L/100km.<br /><br />Mercedes-Benz claimed the 2012 B-Class had better dynamics than its predecessor thanks to an all-new chassis and suspension system and sharper steering courtesy of the electromechanical power steering.<br /><br />The B-Class was awarded 36.78 out of a possible 37 points for a five-star rating in the Australasian New Car Assessment Program (ANCAP) test in May 2012. At the time of testing, it was the highest crash test score ever recorded by ANCAP.<br /><br />Standard equipment across the range included a multi-function steering wheel, MP3 sound system with 14.7cm colour display, Bluetooth audio and phone streaming, iPod media device integration, rain-sensing wipers, a retractable load cover, 16-inch 10-spoke alloy wheels, parking sensors, cruise control and LED daytime-running lights.