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Not too long ago, we brought you official design images of the brand new 2012 Mercedes-Benz A-Class sporting a five-door hatchback body styled after the impressive A-Class concept seen at the New York and Shanghai Auto Shows in April. Now we have some revealing spy shots of the upcoming 2012 B-Class minivan. Being that the next A-Class and its larger B-Class sibling belong to the same family, you would expect a similar design philosophy between the two models.

However, as these latest scoops demonstrate, that is not the case with the new 2012 B-Class. We had a very hard time telling the differences between the current B-Class and its successor, as the overall shape and styling of the small MPV have been kept intact. Nevertheless, the new B-Class is slightly taller and longer than the current model, with the front and rear ends influenced by the latest crop of Mercedes-Benz cars and SUVs.

The increase in dimensions should have a positive effect in interior space for both passengers and their luggage, while photos of the dashboard reveal a revamped center console with newly shaped air-vents. The new B-Class will remain a five-seater model.

The next generations of the front-wheel drive A- and B-Class models will share the same range of gasoline and diesel engines including a 2.0-liter four-cylinder petrol unit with turbocharging and direct-injection technology. The use of fuel-saving technologies such as a start/stop system and advanced transmission options should help further improve fuel consumption and reduce CO2 emissions across the range.

Look for the new B-Class at this fall’s 2011 Frankfurt Motor Show with European sales to follow next year. As for the U.S., while Mercedes has hinted at bringing the new A-Class over to the States, the Stuttgart-based automaker has not mentioned anything about the B-Class.