Used Mercedes-Benz B-Class Electric Drive 2015-2017 review

If the ‘Collision Prevent Assist Plus’ system is added as an optional extra, this B-Class acquires a very neat radar-assisted recuperative braking system. Using information from the radar about the state of traffic ahead, the car can use battery-charging braking to slow itself or, when the road ahead is clear and/or downhill, switch to ‘sailing mode’ which doesn’t use any battery power.

Fully recharging the B-Class via a 16-amp home wall socket will take around nine hours if the battery is empty. Using a 400-volt three-phase electricity supply (rather more common in Asia than Europe), the car can be recharged in just three hours.

It's very impressive indeed. In terms of all-round refinement and pace, the electric B-Class is far better than its internal combustion engine sister cars. Indeed, the car’s effortless torque and near-silent progress puts it in a category of its own.

This car has the refinement that would shame some luxury models and the kind of effortless overtaking ability that would trouble some hot hatches.

What’s most disorientating is that these two sides of motoring excellence are delivered in a humble-looking baby MPV. It’s hard to work out why, but even the steering response and ride quality of the electric B-Class is markedly better than what we experienced with the all-wheel-drive B 220 d and the petrol-powered B 200.

On the wider issue of the facelift, there’s no doubt that B-Class looks much better. The somewhat melted appearance of the original version has been fixed thanks to a much more taught front bumper design and wheels that now properly fill the arches.

It’s also a handy size, well-packaged and nicely finished inside. The big, tablet-sized screen on the dashboard might look a little clunky, but is ideally placed and the graphics and presentation of Mercedes-Benz's sat-nav system is first rate. There is even two trim levels to choose from - Sport and Electric Art. The entry-level Sport models get a decent level of equipment including 17in alloys, climate control, cruise control, a reversing camera and smartphone integration, while the range-topping Electric Art merely adds the luxury of leather and velour into the interior, bigger alloys and dual-zone climate control.