#B-class

Last year, a new refrigerant was at the center of controversy when Daimler raised concerns about it igniting on the hot surface of an engine.

The Mercedes-Benz B-Class Electric Drive just made its world debut at the New York International Auto Show. It’s an ohm-inous reveal, especially for died-in-the-mohair enthusiasts who will no doubt find the car re-volt-ing and have amp-le things to complain about.

Drawing closer to being production-ready, Mercedes was spied testing its b-segment luxury EV.

Recently, engineers at Mercedes-Benz were shocked when a new refrigerant being tested ignited into a ball of fire before their very eyes.

Despite being sold in Canada, Mercedes-Benz has yet to offer its B-Class to an American audience, though reports of that changing have been floating for years.

The third cooperative effort between American EV manufacturer Tesla and Daimler, one of its major shareholders, will most likely come in the form of a plug-in  Mercedes-Benz B-Class.

We knew that Nissan was working on an Infiniti compact, but we just didn’t know when it would reach production. It’s all cleared up today as the Japanese automaker has confirmed that its Infiniti Compact will enter production in 2014.

Mercedes-Benz is going guerilla with its marketing tactics for the new A-Class by placing camouflaged cars around Germany stamped with QR (Quick Response) codes to give those lucky enough to scan them a chance at some prizes.

While that’s good news for a bunch of lucky Germans, the rest of us will have to settle for a new video showing the body shape, headlights and bits of bumper. The video is just a small teaser for the full reveal which will happen in Geneva this March.

If you’re in Germany and see one of the “specially marked” vehicles, whip out your smart phone and scan the code. It could lead to a visit to witness the A-Class debut in person.

Last month our spy photographers spotted a camo-wrapped A-Class being tested but we weren’t sure about the mechanical details. Since then we’ve learned that it will likely feature a 1.8-liter turbocharged four cylinder mated to a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission. Most models will feature front-wheel drive, though the AMG variant will get 4Matic treatment.

Expect to hear about the A-Class hitting the road in Europe by the end of the year, but not in the U.S. until mid 2013. There will, however, be a four-door coupe hitting the American market based on the same drivetrain later this year.

We’ll be covering the A-Class reveal as well as other breaking news from Geneva starting on March 6.

Watch the promo video after the jump.

[Source: Motor Authority]

The past 20 years were pretty stable in the automotive industry. Mostly predictable releases with a steady rate for manufacturers to introduce new models that seemed like a consistant recipe for success.

Mercedes-Benz unveiled its second-generation B-Class at the 2011 Frankfurt Auto Show along with a concept for an E-Cell version of the front-wheel drive compact sport tourer.

The new B-Class is almost two inches shorter than the previous version yet has more leg room thanks to a lowered floor. The seats are also more upright but still offer a lot of head room.

European customers will have the choice of two new gasoline and two diesel options, all with ECO start/stop. The turbocharged 1.6 liter B 180 offers 122 hp while the B 200 version offers 156 hp. The 1.8 liter diesel options include the B 180 CDI with 109 hp and the B 200 CDI with 136 hp. B-class models will come with either a 6-speed manual transmission or a new 7-speed dual clutch transmission.

Mercedes-Benz has just released detailed photos of its new second-generation B-Class, which is set to debut at the upcoming Frankfurt Motor Show. Last month we were teased as to what the new B-Class would look like, and now that we’ve got the full picture, well, it’s not so clear that it’s any less of a stain on Merc’s impressive design history as of late.