A belated welcome to the excellent Mercedes GLB
AS WE are well aware, Covid-19 caught the world off guard and as it grew into a global pandemic all industries were affected, none of them in a good way.
The car manufacturing industry was hit particularly badly across all spheres; sales slumped, plants shut down and a semiconductor shortage ensued, making things very difficult for the industry.
Cars launched at the end of 2019 also had to play second fiddle as we grappled with an unseen enemy.
One of those is the Mercedes-Benz GLB.
We attended the international launch in Spain in December 2019 and as quickly as the hype around it picked up, it died down when news of Covid started to make the headlines.
Which is why Mercedes-Benz South Africa invited us for a drive of the GLB to reacquaint ourselves with what they call the “baby G”.
With its boxy looks and rounded edges the GLB looks the off-road, lifestyle part.
It’s available in two engine variations: a two-litre turbo petrol engine with 165kW and 350Nm powering the front wheels; and a two-litre turbo diesel engine with 140kW and 400Nm equipped with Merc’s 4MATIC permanent all-wheel drive with fully variable torque distribution.
Both variations are fitted with the eight-speed DCT transmission and on the GLB 220d 4M the Off-Road Engineering Package includes an additional drive mode that adapts the power delivery for off-road use.
It’s nothing hardcore, but will get you places where its sibling won’t and on long dirt road drives it adds a considerable measure of confidence behind the wheel.
The interior, as with all Mercedes-Benzes, is dominated by two digital screens: the touchscreen infotainment centre
that’s Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatible and fitted with the MBUX voice-controlled system.
The second screen in front of the driver is also fully digital and allows you to customise it to the view you prefer. The head-up display is in your direct line of sight and very clear.
In the GLB 220d an animation called up in the media display shows your gradient, inclination angle and technical settings to help you judge off-road manoeuvres.
The GLB now has an option of a third row of seats. I sat comfortably in the second row and a colleague in the third row as if we were going on a drive.
The third row is strictly for short trips if you’re an adult but for toddlers and smaller teens it should be fine for the family holiday and school trips.
Having spent time with both cars on the launch route from Joburg to Zwartkops Raceway in Pretoria I placed the GLB 220d slightly ahead of the GLB 250.
The all-wheel drive plants it firmer around corners especially on dirt and during emergency lane changing and when braking at Zwartkop it felt more secure.
The GLB 250 felt smoother through the gear changes with power a lot more linear.
Consumption on the route averaged 6.3l/100km for the oil burner and 9.1l/100km for the petrol version, perhaps another reason why the 220d would be my choice.
Mercedes has confirmed the availability of an AMG GLB 35 4MATIC later this year with 225kW and 400Nm with a claimed 0-100km/h time of 5.3 seconds, which should put a bit of a different spin on it.
The GLB is a welcome addition to the Mercedes-Benz stable. It’s got the looks without being too bulky, interior quality and all round ability that people shopping in this segment are looking for. It doesn’t come cheap but it is a Mercedes and that’s always a good thing.
It comes with a two-year/unlimited kilometre warranty and a fiveyear/100 000km service plan.
PRICING
GLB 250: R907 000 GLB 220d R918 000
THE interior is dominated by two digital screens.