This is the Mercedes-Benz GLB, the second SUV up the company’s long and illustrious ladder. This one shares its foundations with the A-Class supermini and B-Class hatch, but unlike Merc’s more car-like crossover SUVs, the GLB has an upright, squared-off stance that makes it more akin to the G-Class itself. Sort of.
The GLB has been on sale since 2019, which made 2023 the right time for a carefully applied, mid-life nip and tuck. The car’s been mildly refreshed on the outside and benefits from the latest improvements to the A-Class interior, with fancy screens that span most of the dashboard and a sleeker set-up.
How does it match up to the B-Class?
The GLB is 220mm longer, 38mm wider and 120mm taller than the B-Class, giving corresponding increases in leg- and headroom and luggage space. Crucially the GLB also manages to squeeze in an extra row of seats, with enough space for two small seats that flip up from the boot floor. Mercedes says these can ‘comfortably’ accommodate people up to 5ft 6in tall. Just for the kids then.
What about rivals?
It’s shorter than a VW Tiguan Allspace or Nissan X-Trail, but longer than a Land Rover Discovery Sport. It’s not as tall as any of those cars, but about as wide as the VW and Nissan, and a fair bit narrower than the Land Rover.
In terms of price and concept its toughest challenge might come from Skoda’s capable Kodiaq seven-seater. That car is broadly similar to the GLB, although it’s 60mm longer. Prices start at a smidge under £40k for the Merc and rise to just over £53k for the slightly mad AMG version of the car.
Is it sporty or comfortable?
Thankfully the GLB doesn’t sacrifice all of its comfort in the name of relentless sportiness, like so many other crossover SUVs. The ride is comfortable, smothering the worst of the UK’s roads. The cabin is roomy and well built too – the car’s overall atmosphere lends itself to a more sedate form of travel. That’s assuming you’re not in the AMG version, which is the opposite. But it actually manages to be fun.
What are the engines like?
You get a similar selection of engines to what’s available in the A- and B-Class models: you can have a 1.3-litre four-cylinder petrol in the GLB 200, or a 2.0-litre diesel as either a GLB 200d or 220d. The GLB 220d gets standard 4Matic all-wheel drive (it’s an option on the 200d). There is an off-road pack that adds an extra drive mode. But while the GLB will get you further off-road than you might expect, the Disco Sport is still king of that particular hill.
All engines get an eight-speed dual-clutch automatic, bar the GLB 200 which uses the old seven-speed. And yes, of course the AMG one is rapid – the GLB 35 does 0–62mph in a shade over five seconds (thanks to actual launch control). You can have it with seven seats too.
Is it practical inside?
The two rearmost seats are definitely better for children or very tiny adults, but will work best if you’re regularly carrying five and need the extra flexibility. If you’re a family of seven then you’ll find that the boot doesn’t leave you enough space for your day to day bits and pieces, let alone trips away.
The dashboard is now essentially the same one you get in the A-Class, with twin 10.1in screens for the infotainment screen and instrument panel. You’ll find the latest version of the MBUX system onboard, as well as the ‘Hey Mercedes’ voice assistant. It has a limited repertoire, but can be useful at times.
Our choice from the range
MERCEDES-BENZ
GLB 200d AMG Line Premium 5dr 8G-Tronic
£44,195
What's the verdict?
“It’s comfortable, spacious and wears the Mercedes badge well. The interior however is a matter of taste”
The GLB fulfils its brief well – it’s not too try-hard and it’s aimed at a more sensible lifestyle than a lot of other, larger family wagons seem to think people lead. It’s comfortable, spacious and wears the Mercedes badge well. The interior is a matter of taste, but it’s in line with the rest of the Mercedes range.
If you’re a company car driver we’d say go for the EQB electric version, and otherwise we’d suggest you take a good long look at a Skoda Kodiaq before committing to the combustion engined Mercedes. The GLB has more character than the Czech car, even if it lacks the ‘clever’ details of the Kodiaq.
Land Rover Discovery Sport
£31,820 – £52,230
Skoda Kodiaq
£26,360 – £43,235
Nissan X-Trail
Continue reading: Driving
Driving
What is it like to drive?
It’s quite an old-fashioned drive, the GLB – which is no bad thing. It embraces its wafty SUV credentials, offering a calm, unfussy ride. Driving the GLB smoothly is easy thanks to progressive, consistently weighted steering and pedals, which encourage a relaxed driving style and ought to keep your passengers happy.
Tyre roar on the motorway is minimal, even with big wheels fitted, but there is a bit of buffeting around the large door mirrors.
What are the engines like?
The best all rounder is the 220d with 4Matic all-wheel drive. The 2.0-litre diesel is a solid engine: quiet if you don’t clog it, transmits no nasty vibrations through the bulkhead, pedals or steering wheel, and delivers its 187bhp in smooth, linear fashion. It’s plenty fast enough too: 0-62mph takes 7.6 seconds and the top speed is 135mph.
It’s a good mate for the eight-speed dual-clutch auto, which is smoother, quicker shifting and more cleverly calibrated than the old seven-speed still used by the petrol-engined, front-wheel drive GLB 200 and many A-Classes. It’s more than happy to make use of the 295lb ft offered up from just 1,600rpm.
The 200d uses the same four-cylinder diesel engine as the 220d, just with 40 fewer horsepower. It can accelerate from 0-62mph in nine seconds and has a top speed of 127mph (or 9.3 seconds and 125mph if you choose all-wheel drive). We’ve not tried it, but you could probably save some money and go for the less powerful car. A family bus like the GLB doesn’t need to be quite so fast as the 220d.
What about the petrol engine?
The GLB 200 is worth thinking about if you spend a lot of time driving in town (the diesel is a great companion for motorway cruising) but can’t quite stomach the thought of the EQB electric version of the car.
Performance is acceptable (0-62mph in 9.1s) but load it up with people/things and it may struggle as it only has 184lb ft of torque to the 200d’s 236 and 220d’s 295. The 1.3-litre motor, shared with Renault/Nissan, gives 161bhp. Largely quiet but a bit thrashy at high revs. The seven-speed auto feels better here than it does in the A-Class or B-Class, but it remains inferior to the eight speeder.
And what about the AMG version?
The GLB 35, meanwhile, is a curious item. It shares an engine with the A35 hot hatch, but added size (and therefore weight) means it’s a little slower. ‘Only’ 5.3 seconds to 62mph, which, trust us, is plenty fast enough. It’s an effective engine, this 302bhp 2.0-litre turbo, but not an especially exciting one. The exhaust note is droney, and the power delivery a bit flat.
The 35 is obviously firm but controls its heft well, rolls progressively and isn’t all that uncomfortable. This is a safe, secure feeling car that majors on grip – something it has vast reserves of – but lacks nuance. It’s all a bit one-dimensional, as evidenced by the fact even if you turn the ESP all the way off, the car still cuts power long before you get anywhere near the limit. Not that any owners should or indeed will care. Cross country, it’s still rather rapid.
Previous: Overview
Continue reading: Interior
Interior
What is it like on the inside?
It’s all very familiar up front in the GLB: ginormo twin 10.25in screens span from behind the steering wheel over to the middle of the dashboard. One is your digital instrument panel, the other your MBUX infotainment touchscreen.
The central part of the dashboard features a trio of blingy air vents, glossy trim and some welcome buttons for the aircon. The centre stack between the two front seats is separated from the dashboard, and features some useful storage options.
What’s the infotainment like?
The touch controls on the steering wheel seem to have been specifically designed to be as annoying as possible, working correctly maybe three times out of five. That might in itself be bearable if you were trying to thread a two-tonne SUV through city streets at the same time. There is the ‘Hey Mercedes’ voice command system as an alternative if you enjoy arguing with robo-voices.
The voice control system is actually much improved in its latest iteration, but still hasn’t quite nailed its job of replacing buttons and common sense. Otherwise the screens are crisply laid out and responsive. The instrument panel is fairly decently configurable, though doing so via the steering wheel pads takes some getting used to (and a few visits to the manual).
Likewise the UI in the infotainment takes some learning, but once you’re used to it is relatively user friendly. It’s worth pointing out here that the entry-level trim doesn’t come with Apple or Android connectivity, which is a bit shoddy on a £40k premium SUV.
Is it practical?
The second row of seats can be slid forwards by 90mm or backwards by 50mm from their standard position, and the backrests can be adjusted through eight stages. With it slid all the way forwards the second row is really only suitable for kids, but with it slid all the way back, even adults over 6ft ought to be pretty happy.
The third row is obviously just for kids, however. There are even Isofix points should you want to stick really small children back there (not that we’d recommend it). Stowing, erecting and accessing the two rearmost seats is easy enough – it’s entirely possible to do it one-handed. There’s a special compartment in the boot floor to store the parcel shelf when it’s not in use.
In terms of bootspace, the GLB has 150 litres with all the seats up and 570 litres of space with five seats in place, increasing to 1,680 litres with all the seats folded flat. That’s less than you get in a Land Rover Discovery Sport and Skoda Kodiaq.
Previous: Driving
Continue reading: Buying
Buying
What should I be paying?
The GLB range starts at £39,825 for the entry-level AMG Line Executive model with the 1.3-litre petrol engine. It costs £700 to upgrade to the 2.0-litre diesel engine, then another £3.5k for the four-wheel drive version.
AMG Line Premium is the middle trim, starting from £41,825 for the same set of engines. Then it tops out at £48,475 for the top-spec AMG Line Premium Plus Night Edition with diesel 4×4. Presumably the rear badging has to wrap around the sides of the car to fit.
Then of course there’s that AMG version straddling the price list like King Kong. It’ll set you back a hefty £53,440, but it is the most cost effective way to make six people throw up quickly.
What are the specs like?
The AMG Line Executive car is reasonably well specced with 19in wheels, keyless start, heated front seats, dual-zone aircon, cruise control, reversing camera plus front and rear parking sensors, a bundle of airbags and safety kit (carmakers sometimes hold the full set back for more expensive versions), auto headlights and wipers and a 10.25in touchscreen infotainment display that comes with three years of free updates to the maps. The digital instrument panel is the same size and also comes as standard.
AMG Line Premium adds fancier keyless entry, a power opening tailgate, and Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity (plus it’s the first version to get pre-installed wiring and whatnot for towing), while AMG Line Premium Plus Night Edition gets you 20in alloys, panoramic sunroof, electrically adjustable front seats, LED headlights and fancy black trim around the outside of the car.
The AMG version, in ‘Premium Plus’ spec, gets everything thrown at it, including uprated brakes, suspension, five-spoke matte black 20in alloys and even an AMG-specific radiator grille. Inside you get black leather upholstery, Burmester surround sound audio system and a bespoke MBUX setup with some extra AMG-specific features that show you engine data and suchlike.
Which one should I go for?
Our heart says go for the bonkers AMG car, our head says ignore all of these and go for the electric EQB version. But if we were forced to pick one of these with our sensible shoes on, we’d say go for the AMG Line Premium. Ignore the entry car – despite it being decently equipped you’ll rue the day you passed over the one with Apple CarPlay/Android Auto.
We know it’s not very fashionable these days, but we’d also think strongly about the two-wheel drive diesel, just for the economy. And then we’d cross our fingers that it didn’t get banned from where we live. In that regard, the EQB is the only one that’s certifiably future-proofed.
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