On sale now in Europe and in dealerships from the end of November, the new model offers five diesel models including the B180 CDI, which in BE Edition form offers CO2 emissions of 94g/km and official combined fuel consumption of 3.6l/100km.

There are also four petrol engines with emissions from 122g/km and official combined fuel consumption up to 5.2l/100km.

The new model is also marked out for including an alternative drive version. Based on the B-Class's modular ENERGY SPACE body concept, which uses the underbody to house the lithium-ion battery, the Electric Drive model offers the same level of boot space.

Developed in partnership with Tesla, the electric motor offers 180PS and 340Nm of torque, with a claimed 0-100kph time of 7.9 seconds and a top speed of 160kph.

The model also offers a more extensive version of the Mercedes connect me services via "connect.mercedes.me". This enables the driver to remotely check on the current charging level of the lithium-ion battery and current vehicle range as well as preheat or precool the vehicle ready for a specified departure time.

Prices have not been announced yet for the Electric Drive, which joins the B200 Natural Gas Drive with 156PS and CO2 emissions from 115g/km with a starting price of €32,903.50 RRP in Germany.

The latest B-Class also sees the 4MATIC all-wheel drive system available on more models, with emissions for the B200 CDI 4MATIC starting at around 130g CO2/km instead of over 150g CO2/km for the B220 4MATIC as previously.

The latest B-Class also receives an updated design, with a new bumper, revised grille and integrated daytime running lamps in the headlamps. Inside, changes include a larger, free-standing head unit display as well as new options such as Keyless-Go along with new driver assistance systems, such as Collision Prevention Assist Plus, which extends the functionality of Collision Prevention Assist with autonomous partial braking to reduce the risk of rear-end collisions.

Prices start from €27,102.25 RRP for the B180 in Germany.