School run fun
Merc’s new GMB is ideal for big families
FOR anyone who needs seven seats in a car, there’s a new kid on the block — and a surprising one it is too.
The Mercedes-Benz GLB slots into the range between the GLA and GLC and, on the surface at least, really should not be big enough to accommodate seven passengers.
And, to an extent, it isn’t, because this really is a 5+2, with the expected consequence for the third row when it comes to legroom. For those with more than three children, though, it would be absolutely perfect, though again there is another compromise to be made, because with all the seats in play, there’s not a lot of cargo space left.
Nonetheless, it at least is another option for the bigger family and, when I say option, I mean it, because the car comes in basic five-seat form, with the 5+2 configuration adding €1,425 to the base price.
Counter-intuitively, there actually is good legroom for the passengers in the traditional back row (the middle row with all in use) but again a compromise on elbow room. The passenger row seatbacks from door to door measure 1,394 millimetres, which is a tight enough squeeze.
There is, though a significant positive to this compact package — it really is very well weighted, and that makes for a surprisingly engaging drive. There are plenty of crossovers and SUVs out there that do main thing extremely well, but few that offer the same driving pleasure as the GLB.
In the premium category, it is up against the Audi Q3 and BMW X1, and that would be a pretty hard call to make. The Audi surely would win out on styling, especially in the coupé-style Sportback incarnation I wrote about here a few weeks back, but I think the Mercedes slightly shades it for driving fun.
That’s why it’s a bit of shame it’s not as aggressively designed as I might have liked. Mercedes has gone down the traditional SUV road, and the car looks a little chunky where the Audi is light. That might be an advantage in the long term — very stylish cars tend to date a lot faster when a more stylish one comes along, while the more conservative approach has a lot of appeal for those who like to play the long game. It’s still nice to have a wow moment, though, and that was missing here.
Well, on the outside anyway. I love what Merc have been doing with the cabins of their cars, and here once again you have the awesome panoramic MBUX (Mercedes-Benz User Experience), the coolest infotainment set up of any brand, with great connectivity and voice command operation.
In terms of safety, standard equipment includes active lanekeeping assist, active parking assist, cruise control, emergency call system, high-performance LED headlamps, reversing camera, speed limit assist, and rain sensor wipers.
The car also came with 18-inch, five-spoke light alloy wheels, comfort seats in black leather upholstery, digital radio, electronically folding door mirrors, front and rear armrests, heated front seats, velour mats and a load compartment package for managing the boot. Besides the additional cost for the extra two seats, there was another €1,425 for the Denim Blue metallic paint job.
While the car is an eight-speed automatic, there also are paddles on the steering wheel to operate it manually if you wish — I have to confess I seldom bother.
At combined fuel consumption of five litres per 100 kilometres, economy is good, and with emissions of 129g/km, you’ll pay €270 a year in motor tax.
All in all, I was surprised by the GLB. Mercedes-Benz have made great strides these past few years in expanding the range, and next year sees the addition of a fully electric version of this car, the EQB, hitting the market. That, I imagine, will be a gamechanger.
For now, available in petrol and diesel versions, it’s definitely one to look at if you have a slightly bigger family than the usual, or find yourself doing shared school or sports runs for your own children and their friends.
I think it will find another niche too, though, among the middleaged like myself who maybe have a few more euro to spend and who like the idea of an SUV but still want a premium car with all that entails in the way of performance and comfort.
This is a rock solid addition to the roster that offers a genuinely surprising quotient of fun. I liked it a lot.