Mercedes’ seven-seat baby
Nile Bijoux tests out Merc’s new (barely) compact SUV, the GLB, to see if it is worth the better part of a hundred grand.
The GLB is a new model for Mercedes-Benz. Technically it’s a compact SUV but things aren’t quite as simple jacking up a B-Class.
If it’s not a jacked-up B-Class, what is it?
A jacked up A-Class. Half kidding – the GLB is based on the same modular MFA2 platform as the A-Class, B-Class, CLA and GLA. It has a wheelbase stretched by 100mm over the hatchback and the boxy body gives the impression the GLB is larger than it is.
Mercedes is pitching the GLB as a first step into the MB world, namely for young families. There are seven seats, each coming with a USB-C charging point, and the third row even offers four Isofix and five top-tether anchorage points.
There’s enough space in the middle row for a couple of adults and the final two seats can be occupied by two fully grown humans at a pinch as well. Luggage capacity is rated at 565L with the third row folded, expandable to a decent 1800L.
GLB doesn’t look like a lifted Aor B-Class either, with styling pulled more from the larger MB SUVs. The square shape paired with chunky wheel arches and decent suspension travel gives a stauncher look and improved interior space to the GLB while retaining a respectable length. It’s not bad looking but is a bit. . . dowdy. The AMG additions do help in this regard, however.
Inside is standard Mercedes, with plenty of luxury touches to remind you where your $90k went. There are strips of LED lights around the cabin that can glow an array of different colours, the metallic vents also glow and there are twin digital screens for the MBUX infotainment system and driver readouts. There isn’t much new to discuss here, if you’re familiar with other modern Mercedes’ then you’ll be right at home in the GLB.
Which model did you drive?
I was given the keys to the 250 model, the middle child of the range. Below that is the 200 and above is the AMG GLB 35, all three aping the powertrains from other MFA2 family members bearing the same digits. That means the 250 packs a 2.0-litre turbo four good for 165kW/350Nm, paired with an eight-speed automatic and 4Matic all-wheel-drive.
It’s a good powertrain too, the turbo ladling on torque from 1800rpm and the 4Matic all-paw system ensuring traction at all times. It’ll really go for it off the line, the 1721kg kerb weight well concealed. The automatic is sharp and smooth, happy to bang down the cogs in Sport mode but equally content in reaching for the highest ratio to keep consumption down. Balancing highway cruising and urban start-stop driving should see you get close to Merc’s claimed figure of 7.7L/100km.
Our tester was specced with the Driver Assistance Package, which adds Distronic active cruise control, lane change assist, extended automatic restart for traffic and route-based speed adaptation. It adds $1990 to the base price and I’d recommend ticking the box. The system is a godsend in Auckland traffic and if you indicate when turning with cruise control still active, it will slow the car down for the corner, using GPS to figure out how much braking is required.
Seems like a good buy. Any niggles?
The lane-keep will apply the brakes when it thinks you’re veering out
Mercedes-Benz GLB 250 Base price: $92,900 Powertrain and economy: 2.0-litre turbo-petrol inline-four, 165kW/350Nm, 8-speed automatic, AWD, combined economy 7.7 L/100km, CO2 177g/km (source: RightCar).
4634mm long, 1834mm wide, 1658mm high, 2829mm wheelbase, luggage capacity 565 litres, 19-inch alloy wheels.
Comfy, quick, hightech.
Steering a tad light, styling errs on the side of mumsy. of lane. While this isn’t a bad way to prevent a side-on crash, it’s a pretty good way to encourage a nose-to-tail if the person behind is too close, as well as giving the driver a fright.
The optional sports steering system isn’t really all that sporty, erring a bit too much on the side of lightness even in Sport mode. The optional adaptive dampers are good though, plenty supple on Auckland’s Northwestern motorway but firming up nicely when you want them to.
If you want a more rambunctious family wagon, check out the AMG GLB 35. It uses the same 225kW/400Nm engine as found in the A 35 hatchback so should be quite a firecracker. Back at the GLB’s global launch, AMG sales and product manager Mattias Schmidt said the powertrain from the A 45 won’t make it into the GLB, meaning the 35 will be as hot as it gets.
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So it’s worth checking out?
Definitely. If you have a young family and are OK with parting with the better part of $100k, this is a brilliant option.
All in, it looks like Mercedes has a hit on its hands. The size and price is right for the segment and the GLB’s interior is beautifully appointed.
The boxy styling works, for the most part, and helps Mercedes keep the GLB in the compact SUV segment while optimising headroom and luggage space.
Any other cars to consider?
The GLB is a tricky one to pigeonhole size-wise, as it essentially has a foot in two camps, somewhat straddling the compact and medium SUV segments.
While its A-Class origins put it squarely in with the likes of the Audi Q3 and BMW X1, its pricing puts it at the top of those cars’ ranges, while its footprint means it also overlaps with the bottom of the next size up in the form of the Q5 and X3.
Of course, precisely none of those competitors offer seven seats, so that means you have to go considerably further up in price to start ticking that particular box in Mercedes-Benz’s traditional competitor range.
There are the likes of the Volkswagen Tiguan Allspace, Skoda Kodiaq and Seat Tarraco, which are all European sevenseaters, but are all also larger and cheaper, in asking price and quality.
Then you could start looking around at large seven-seat Korean and Japanese SUVs, of which there are a few options, but then they are so much larger than the GLB as to be an entirely different prospect.