Mercedes-Benz has announced the diesel variant to the B-Class model will be launched in India on July 11. The B-Class MPV was introduced in India last September with petrol engine and now the German car maker is set to introduce the diesel version powered by the same 2.2-litre oil burner found under the hood of the A-Class CDI.
The 2.2-litre oil burner shares components with the CDI variants of the 170bhp C-Class as well as the 203bhp E-Class, but the B180 is tuned down to develop 107bhp at 3,200rpm and 250Nm of torque from 1,400rpm-2,800rpm. The B-Class is based on Merc’s new MFA (Modular Front Architecture) and the diesel variant transmits its power to the front wheels via a 7-speed dual-clutch transmission.
Unlike the petrol variant that comes in a ‘Style’ and ‘Sports’ trim, the 180CDI will be available only in the lower trim ‘Style’ spec to generate numbers. This means that the car will miss out on panoramic sunroof and will trade the 17-inch alloy wheels for a higher profile 16-inch wheels.
Similar to the A-Class pricing strategy, the B180 CDI will probably be priced lower than its Sports petrol sibling. The A-Class diesel is Rs 80,000 cheaper than its petrol variant and a similar difference pricing can be expected for the B-Class diesel as well.
