Mercedes-Benz brings new B-Class (and more) to 2018 Paris Motor Show

By Andrew Krok, Roadshow

Some automakers might be skipping the Paris Motor Show later this month, but not Mercedes-Benz.

Mercedes-Benz just announced its plans for the Paris Motor Show, and they're big.

A brand-new B-Class

The main debut will be a new B-Class, a model that has appeared in the US before, but only single variants and never the full lineup. Mercedes-Benz promises that it'll be sportier but also more comfortable than the car that came before it, and it'll pack the new MBUX infotainment system, in addition to safety systems taken straight from the S-Class.

The current B-Class has been on sale since the 2012 model year. This compact hatchback gets its forward motion from a variety of sources, including gasoline, diesel and compressed natural gas.

There's also a battery-electric variant on offer, one that actually made it to the US. The original B-Class Electric Drive borrowed its drivetrain from Tesla, but subsequent iterations shifted over to dedicated Mercedes-Benz hardware. However, with an EPA-estimated range of just 87 miles and a preincentive base price above $40,000, it never really took off in the US. With the advent of the electric EQC crossover, it's unlikely that the B-Class Electric Drive will come back to the US if it's revived for this new generation.

We're not sure what the new B-Class will look like, but here's the current one for some context.

A new hot hatch

The Mercedes-Benz A-Class will exist as both a hatchback and a sedan, with the latter coming to the US. But there's a new hopped-up AMG variant of the hatchback that we're hoping will translate to the sedan in time, as well.

The Mercedes-AMG A35 is a gnarly little hot hatch. Its 2.0-liter turbocharged I4 gas engine puts out a meaty 302 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque, which is sent to all four wheels by way of a seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox. It'll hit 62 mph in about 4.7 seconds with the help of standard launch control, and it'll annoy the neighbors with the help of a sportier exhaust system.

With adaptive dampers, big ol' brakes and a variable-ratio steering rack, it'll undoubtedly hustle around corners with alacrity. Swaddled in bright yellow paint, it looks like an angry Pikachu, but what fun is an AMG if it doesn't shout its existence from the rooftops?

The Mercedes-AMG A35 should look pretty swell in sedan form, as well.

EQC: A new era for Mercedes

Paris will also mark the auto show debut for the Mercedes-Benz EQC, a new battery-electric SUV. With one electric motor on each axle, the EQC will put out 402 horsepower and 564 pound-feet of torque, and its 80-kWh battery pack should give the EQC somewhere between 200 and 250 miles of range on a single charge.

The EQC doesn't look all that different from the GLC-Class that it sort of resembles, but that's by design. It's still a Mercedes-Benz, after all, and that's definitely apparent inside, as the EQC's interior doesn't look all that different from any other new Merc on the market. If it ain't broke...

GLE gets ready to rock the 'burbs

One of the O.G. luxury SUVs gets a fresh new face and a whole lot of tech to go along with it.

The Mercedes-Benz GLE-Class will also make its auto show debut in Paris. In the US, it'll launch with two different engines -- a 255-horsepower I4 and a 362-horsepower I6. The latter will come with Mercedes-Benz's EQ Boost 48-volt mild hybrid system, which should improve its fuel economy a fair bit. That 48-volt system will also work with a new air suspension that should make its ride even smoother.

With a wheelbase that's 3.1 inches longer than before, the GLE-Class picks up something it never had before—an optional third row of seats.