Mercedes B-Class MPV - Practicality & boot space

The latest B-Class doesn't quite live up to the traditional MPV or 'people carrier' billing, which usually implies three rows of seats and a van-like boot. Think of it instead as a taller, more spacious hatchback like the BMW 2 Series Active Tourer and you won't be far wrong. As a result, it feels geared towards those drivers who find conventional hatchbacks too low-slung to be easily accessible, rather than as a family bus.

The small MPV class has dwindled in recent years, as fashion has tilted in favour of SUVs like the Nissan Qashqai and seven-seat Skoda Kodiaq, which also offer lots of interior space and large boots.

Mercedes B-Class interior space & storage

For all its visual similarities with the A-Class, it's still immediately apparent how much higher up you sit in the B-Class – around 10cm in fact. Though it can't match the elevated driving position of some SUVs, it certainly affords better forward visibility than you'll find in an average hatchback – including the A-Class.

Being a little higher up also makes it easy to get in and out of the B-Class, whether you choose a seat in the first or second row. Once seated, you'll appreciate the expansive glass area that floods the B-Class' interior with natural light.

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Compared to its predecessor, the latest B-Class is both wider and longer, with 50mm more bodywork between the front and rear axles. Much of that extra length is given to the passenger compartment, resulting in very generous front and rear legroom. In fact, occupants in the back of a B-Class have the kind of space once reserved for the brand's luxury saloons.

Though there's a lot of space inside, it's a shame that Mercedes hasn't paid the same attention as some rivals to in-car storage. While there's a good size glove box and door bins front and rear, passengers may still struggle to find handy places to securely hold the smaller items they may want on a journey.

Boot space

The B-Class is fitted with a fixed rear seat that splits and folds in three sections with a 40:20:40 ratio. With the rear seats in use, there’s 455 litres of luggage capacity in the diesel, while folding all three seats flat unlocks a total of 1,530 litres. In the petrol version these figures are reduced to 420 litres and 1,505 litres because of hardware for its mild-hybrid technology taking up some space. That's a close match for the BMW 2 Series Active Tourer – arguably the car’s most direct rival. While figures for its replacement haven’t been confirmed, boot volume dropped to 405 litres for the pre-facelift B 250 e but that's still a good space and there are no awkward steps in the boot floor. However, there's no dedicated space for the charging cables when not in use.

Neither the Mercedes nor BMW can rival a traditional estate car, with cheaper rivals such as the Skoda Superb offering 660 litres of capacity with the rear seats in place and a vast 1,950 litres with them folded flat.

The B-Class isn't offered in longer-wheelbase, seven-seat form – the stretched 2 Series Active Gran Tourer offers some 1,820 litres with all five rear seats folded down. When the sliding rear bench arrives, B-Class owners will be able to choose between maximising space for passengers or luggage according to daily needs.