THE CAR almost sure to outlive you is now with us. So confident is Mercedes-Benz about the longevity of its newly-launched B-Class, that it has a 30-year guarantee against corrosion. So, buy one now, and in 2034 the car will still have a year to run of its MobiloLife cover “offering protection against breakdown or corrosion from the inside out for three decades.”

Quality, then, is a given in a car that is the latest move in the German manufacturer’s obsession with automotive alphabetti-spaghetti. Mercedes fans have long been used to having the C-Class small saloon, E-Class big executive saloon and estate, as well as the range-topping S-Class four-wheeled behemoth.

Then Mercedes introduced its A-Class, the cleverly-styled small car that spawned a host of city-friendly automotive imitators and that introduced a whole new raft of motorists to the Benz badge.

There are also the two-door SL, CL, SLK and CLK cars, the G-Wagen off-roader that is rarely seen in the UK, the M-Class on-road/off-roader, and the newly-launched R-Class “grand sports tourer”. Now comes the B-Class featuring TV ads which appear to promise that ownership will turn even the most ardent couch potato into a weekend über-athlete.

The car goes on sale next month and although the range is priced from £16,995, most customers will go for more expensive models, such as the B180 CDI SE, which, though priced at £19,945, will typically carry around £3,000 worth of extras, specified by customers:options such as metallic paint (£340), panoramic sunroof (£780), and in-car wiring for mobile phone technology (£400). The range is topped by the 122mph £22,795 B200 two-litre petrol turbo.

The B180 CDI is expected to be among the best sellers in a range that should sell up to 7,000 next year in the UK. The B180 CDI has a four cylinder, turbo-charged, two-litre common rail direct injection engine producing 109bhp at 4200rpm. Like a bigger brother of the A-Class, from which it borrows much of its design, the B-Class has a thick, sandwich floor, higher than a “normal” saloon, which takes time to get used to as, initially at least, you are likely to bang your shoe or ankle against the floor as you climb in.

Tumble and fold rear seats give you a flat floor in the back for loads, and while the car seats five, there is not as much rear leg room as in its head-on rival, the Fiat Croma.

The interior finish is of a high quality, with chrome door handles, dash trim and speaker surrounds, and has a solid feel. Yet, in an age when the very latest diesels are so refined, it is a surprise to sit in the B180 and know instantly that this is a diesel, due to the noise at idle and a vibration strong enough to tremble the backs of your calves — though some may appreciate this subtle massage.

The B170 SE, with a slightly more powerful 1.7 litre petrol engine makes more sense, as the car seems more refined, and though its top speed and 0-62mph figures are almost exactly the same as the 180 diesel, it feels more sprightly and eager. While the basic B170 SE costs £19,195.00, most will sell for around £21,000 after being loaded with extras like the £150 interior lighting pack featuring footwell lights to help find those lost biros at night.

Mercedes see the B-Class — 43cm longer than the A-Class but 27cm shorter than the C-class — competing against everything from the Vauxhall Zafira, Peugeot 307 and Mondeo Estate, to the Mazda 5 and Toyota Corolla Verso, with typical customers being the sought-after sub-40-year-old motorists, most of them graduates with young families living active lives.

On average, Mercedes owners, having bought their car, spend at least another 10 per cent of that purchase price on extras. One extra you cannot buy however, is pizazz, zip, whatever it is that makes a car stick in the mind, and be remembered fondly.

The B-Class is competent, moderately handsome, and well thought out, but somehow it misses out. It is as if Mercedes, focusing relentlessly on efficiency and reliability of their small cars, have with the B-Class fallen into the trap that the competent Japanese used to suffer from, of building cars that, while worthwhile, lacked character.

THE DETAILS

CAR: Mercedes-Benz B170 SE

ENGINE: 1.7-litre four cylinder petrol engine producing 116hp at 5,500rpm and torque of 155Nm at 3,500-4,000rpm, driving the front wheels through a five-speed manual gearbox

PERFORMANCE: Top speed 114mph, 0-62mph in 11.3sec

ECONOMY: 41.5mpg combined

CO2 EMISSIONS: 163g/km

PRICE: From £19,195

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