YOU will probably have been living in a box not to know about Mercedes' luxury car reputation, particularly with its big models.

But the German firm is also focussing strongly on its smaller vehicles, with giant strides forward with the likes of the A and now the new B-Class.

A compact MPV, slip inside and you could be forgiven you were in one of its bigger, luxurious stablemates.

Both the A and B-Class have upped their game considerably with the latter a smart looking motor with good levels of standard equipment.

The downside is that they are not that cheap and it is up against some stiff competition in the compact MPV sector of the market.

Added extras can add an eyewatering amount to the price.

But the  latest B-Class is a handsome vehicle that is hugely practical with multi-folding seats and various other storage compartments and oddment holders throughout the cabin.

It is ideal for a small family, a car which also doubles as a reasonable load lugger with the seats folded.

It also features a range of highly-efficient engines that are constantly driving down CO2 emissions and driving up economy.

The front end fetures a triple-louvred grille, dominated by the huge, iconic Mercedes three-pointed star. It has body coloured door handles and side skirts, giving it a low-to-the-ground, sporty profile.

There is 48mm reduction in height compared with its predecessor and other features include front wheel arches that create a ‘cushion' of air over the front wheels, reducing drag, and low-drag mirrors.

This helps make it what Mercedes say is world's most aerodynamically-efficient family car, with a drag co-efficient from just 0.24.

The 1.5-litre ECO stop/start diesel powering this B180 has a claimed mpg of  74-odd mpg and while no doubt being a frugal engine that figure seemed ambitious.

However the 109bhp unit, mated to a slick-shifting six-speed gearbox pumps out only 98g/km of CO2, making it a cheap car to run and attractive as a company car option with low benefit in kind taxation costs.

It is a clearly a refined engine. Diesel clatter is all but absent and while acceleration is hardly brisk,once up to speed the car is an excellent cruiser, with occupants well insulated from road and wind noise.

The also handles well, feeling stable and agile on corners while the ride is firm but comfortable.

The interior is classy, oozing luxury with high quality, soft touch finish to dashboard and doors, classy chrome detailing and clear, concise and easy to use controls - apart from the combined wiper/indicator stalk which I will never get used to.

A highlight for me was the delightfully-stylied, three spoke steering wheel which summed up the classy feel of the car.

The dash is dominated by a colour display monitor which controls functions such ash as media, phone connectivity and satellite navigation where fitted.

Seats are firm, comfortable and multi-adjustable while there is plenty of headroom for all but the tallest. Standard kit includes, electric windows and door mirrors, climate control, cruise control and a host of other goodies.

As an MPV practicality is paramount and boot space of 486 litres increases to a decent if not class leading 1,545 litres. There are also a number of seat configurations.

Mercedes is renowned for its safety innovations and the the car  comes a collision prevention system, which gives a visual and audio warning if  you get too close to the car in front, ESP stability control system, all round airbags, including a knee airbag and assisted braking to earn a five-star Euro NCAP safety rating.

There are eight models to choose from in the range, with the  B180 SE available from £22,015.

Affordable for many looking for something with just that little bit of extra prestige, but still a practical family package.