Fancy a posh compact minivan that's not a BMW? This might be it.

When it comes to small minivans, it’s difficult to beat the French with their interesting Peugeots and Citroëns, but should you want a family-hauler with premium aspirations, you’ll have to look elsewhere. Mercedes has been selling the B-Class since 2006 and after introducing the second generation in 2012, the Daimler-owned company is now getting ready to roll out the third iteration of its posh MPV.

Caught with less camouflage than ever before, the 2019 B-Class is more than just an A-Class with a taller roof as the latest spy shots allow us to see that Mercedes has made more efforts to separate the hatchback from its more practical sibling. While the A-Class has that sporty “Predator” face shared with the new CLS, the forthcoming minivan adopts a more stylish front fascia that better suits the car’s body.

See even more spy shots with the new B-Class:

Because of the different roofline, the greenhouse is much more generous in the case of the B-Class thanks to taller windows allowing a lot of light to enter the roomy cabin. The swirly camouflage is blocking the view, but we’re pretty sure there’s a fixed glass area aft the C-pillars. The quarter glass might just be a little bit bigger compared to the outgoing B-Class since the new generation is expected to grow in size much like the A-Class did.

Moving at the back, it’s easy to see the taillights have a different shape than those of the A-Class and at the same time represent a significant departure from the rear lighting clusters of the current B-Class. Thanks to what will be an increased footprint, the trunk’s capacity will increase to make the minivan a better companion during longer trips.

It goes without saying that basically all of the oily bits plus the swanky new MBUX infotainment system will be taken from the hatchback and pretty much everything else will be inherited from the A-Class.

As to when Mercedes will reveal its fresh new BMW 2 Series Active Tourer competitor, it’s unclear at this point, but we might have to wait until early 2019.

Photos: Automedia