Designed by Ross Brawn and Rory Byrne, the car was powered by the latest Cosworth HBA engine in an initially-exclusive deal with Ford, and ran on Goodyear tyres.

The car was distinguishable from its predecessor due to its track being 15 cm (5.9 in) narrower per the regulations of 1993, and the addition of bargeboards at the European Grand Prix.

The standard rear-wing endplate profile was also changed, featuring a straight leading edge rather than the curved design of the B192.

It is arguable that it was overall the third most competitive car on the grid,[citation needed] behind the Williams and the McLaren, with Schumacher regularly scoring podiums and out-qualifying the single-lap ace Ayrton Senna in 8 of the 16 races of the season.

Having access to the most potent factory engine in contrast to McLaren having to make do with older-specification units gave Benetton a power advantage, (although Williams used a far superior Renault V10), however, the McLaren had the edge at some races, in particular in wet conditions due in part to their use of traction control.