Mercedes GLB review

Introduction

When it comes to SUVs, we’re spoilt for choice. There are small ones, big ones, rugged ones, fast ones, hybrids and even fully electric ones. So, where does that leave the Mercedes GLB?

Well, it’s actually one of few seven-seaters that you can buy with a premium badge – at least one that isn't the size of an aircraft carrier.

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Underneath, it’s closely related to the Mercedes B-Class MPV. However, don’t let the ‘B’ in its name make you think that it’s small, because like its chief rival – the Land Rover Discovery Sport – it’s aimed at those who regularly carry lots of people or luggage.

We say "chief rival" because you could also be looking at the similarly priced Audi Q5 and the BMW X3 (although those are five-seaters only). If you can live without the premium badge but absolutely must have seven seats, there are other alternatives, including the Hyundai Santa Fe and the Peugeot 5008.

So, should the Mercedes GLB be at the top of your wish list, and how does it stack up against its key rivals? Read on to find out...

What’s new?
- March 2023: Family SUV given a comprehensive update, with fresh looks and LED headlights, artificial leather seats, leather steering wheel and a new touchscreen setup standard on all models
- August 2019: Mercedes reveals prices and specs for new GLB seven-seat SUV, available in four trims and with three engines

Overview

From what we’ve driven so far, the Mercedes GLB is a compelling seven-seat SUV. Most surprisingly, it’s relatively cheap to buy and still comes with a decent amount of kit. The versions we’ve tried demonstrate a calm ride and competent handling, quiet cruising manners, and, for an EV, impressive range, efficiency and potential charging speeds. A relative weakness is its lacklustre material quality inside, but the interior looks impressive thanks to its design and in-your-face tech. The best version we’ve driven so far is the GLB 250+ in AMG Line Executive trim. However, entry-level Sport trim should provide enough kit for most people.

Pros

• Electric range, efficiency, potential charging speed
• Lovely ride and handling balance
• Competitively priced

Cons

• We need to drive more versions for a full picture
• Sub-par material quality inside
• Lack of physical buttons hurts usability

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Performance & drive

What it's like to drive, and how quiet it is

How fast is it and which motor is best?

In due course, you’ll be able to opt for a Mercedes GLB 1.5-litre petrol mild hybrid in the three states of tune listed above, but we’re still waiting to drive those versions. We have driven the two GLB Electric models, though.

Our pick of the range is the 250+. It has a single motor driving the rear wheels, and, with a 0-62mph time of less than 7.5sec, it’s fast enough. That’s a few tenths quicker than a BMW X3 20i and X3 20d, and a lot quicker than a Peugeot e-5008. It means plenty of poke around town and more than enough welly to whizz you up to motorway speeds with ease.

If you do crave more, then the four-wheel-drive 350 4Matic should have the requisite extra oomph you’re after. It feels much more urgent off the line than the 250+ and it’s way quicker up to 62mph than an X3 30e PHEV. If you want an even faster SUV, check out the Tesla Model Y Long Range AWD (EV) or the Volvo XC60 T8 AWD (PHEV).

Is it agile and is the ride comfortable?

Let’s start with the ride. Every GLB Electric is comfortable, ironing out bumps well and riding more smoothly than the rival e-5008 and Model Y. There are just two minor caveats we need to mention: one is that the 350 4Matic is a bit busier over potholes and patchy surfaces, and the other is that more basic GLB trims can feel a little bouncy over big dips and crests in the road.

The reason we say ‘more basic GLB trims’ is because if you upgrade to AMG Line Premium trim (or above), Mercedes will fit adaptive suspension. It gives the GLB a more planted, controlled ride, especially in Sport mode, and this also comes in handy in the corners. Adaptive-equipped cars feel a bit sharper and more confidence inspiring during hard cornering.

The difference is noticeable but we’d save the money and stick with an entry-level GLB Electric. It’s more than comfortable enough, and its precise steering and good grip levels help make up for a little bit of extra body lean. In other words, it’s competent when faced with a country road.

Is it quiet and how easy is it to drive smoothly?

As we’ve driven only the GLB Electric it’s hard to describe it as anything other than serene when you put your foot down. You can add some synthesised noise to accompany the acceleration if you want, but the range of available sounds are… er… a bit whacky. One of them reminded us of a tree branch being shoved through a wood chipper.

We mentioned that the 350 4Matic doesn’t ride quite as well as the 250+, and it has a little more suspension noise, too. But whichever version you choose, the GLB cruises pretty peacefully: any road and wind noise is more of a background accompaniment.

A minor gripe is the power delivery. It’s a tad aggressive when you pull away, so you need to be gentle with the accelerator off the line to avoid jolting your passengers. The GLB’s brakes, on the other hand, are tuned near-perfectly to allow you to pull up smoothly every time. Not all EVs are like that: the regenerative brakes in the e-5008, for instance, are horribly grabby.

The GLB has several settings for the level of regenerative braking, which you alter using the gear-selector stalk or paddles behind the steering wheel. There’s also auto mode, where the car ramps the braking effect up or down when you lift off the accelerator, depending on whether there’s a bend or a junction approaching, or if the car in front is slowing down.

What’s the range and efficiency like, and how quickly can it charge?

The GLB Electric has an 85kWh (usable) battery and 800-volt charging capability, which allows it to fast-charge at up to 320kW. That’s impressive. If you can find a charger capable of delivering that amount of energy, you can boost its battery from 10-80% in under 20mins. That’s about 8mins quicker than a Tesla Model Y and puts the GLB in the same camp as the BMW iX3, as one of the quickest charging EVs on sale.

However, there’s an issue. 800-volt chargers aren’t as common as slower 400-volt chargers, and the GLB won’t charge on 400-volt chargers unless you spend almost £1000 on the optional ‘Direct current charging system’. And you can only add that from the factory, so if you decide not to spend the money, make sure you know where to find a suitable charger.

At least the GLB won’t need too many charging stops, for two reasons. Firstly, it’s relatively efficient for a large-ish electric SUV. Officially it averages nearly 4mi/kWh, but we saw more than that during our drive in a 250+. For some context, the most efficient Peugeot e-5008 officially averages 3.4mi/kWh.

Secondly, the GLB has a very impressive official range. The 250+ isn’t far off 400 miles, which is basically the same as the best Model Y, and the 350 4Matic isn’t far behind.

“I drove a Mercedes GLB Electric 250+ along mountain roads in Mallorca. It’s no sports SUV but still enjoyed its responsive and predictable handling and pleasingly cushioning ride.” – John Howell, Deputy Reviews Editor

Interior

The interior layout, fit and finish

What does the interior look like and is it well made?

The GLB features what Mercedes calls its ‘MBUX Superscreen’, which equates to up to three screens (if you include the passenger display that comes with the upper trims), running from one side of the car to the other.

To get a sense of what it looks like, imagine the Artemis II Moon Mission control centre at NASA's Johnson Space Center; the GLB’s vertical wall of screens is similar to that. It’s bright, colourful, and, if you like screens, you’ll probably love it. If you favour something more traditional and low-key, you probably won’t. We’d suggest the Volvo XC60’s interior is likely to be more your thing.

The XC60’s interior, and the Tesla Model Y’s for that matter, feels objectively smarter. The GLB has just enough tactile finishes in the right places – the top of the dashboard and doors, for instance – to avoid feeling cheap. However, compared with those rivals, there are more lower-grade materials on show.

And while the main elements of the interior feel solidly bolted together, tap the top surface of the centre console and it reverberates with a hollow twang. Also, the wow-factor trinkets, such as the illuminated bullseye heater vents, look fancy but feel lightweight when you use them.

The latest BMW X3’s interior quality isn’t what it once was, and we’d say the GLB’s is at a similar level for overall quality, which is to say: pretty average for a premium brand at this price point.

Is the driving position comfortable and is it easy to see out?

The alignment of the GLB’s steering wheel, driver’s seat and pedals is great, and defines the basics of a top-drawer driving position. All versions come with a manually adjustable steering wheel with a generous range of movement up, down, forward and back.

You also get four-way electrically adjustable lumbar support as standard – although frustratingly it’s adjusted from the touchscreen, not a physical control – and a manually adjustable driver’s seat with most trims.

From AMG Line Premium trim you get an electrically adjustable driver’s seat with bigger side bolstering to keep you propped up in corners. The seat’s very supportive on long motorway trips as well.

It’s easy to see directly out of the front and sides of the GLB, and relatively thin pillars minimise the blindsports at roundabouts and junctions. The rear screen is reasonably deep but the chunky back pillars limit what you can see over your shoulders. To counter that gripe, there's a full suite of parking aids on hand, including standard front and rear parking sensors and a rear-view camera.

Top-level AMG Line Premium Plus trim upgrades this to a 360-degree parking camera. It also swaps the standard LED headlights and automatic main beams to adaptive LED headlights, which can remain on main beam by shadowing the cars in front.

Are the dashboard and infotainment system easy to use?

Earlier, we touched on the wall of screens that make up the bulk of the GLB’s dashboard. As standard, these consist of a 10.25in driver’s display, which can be configured to show what’s most important to you, and a 14.0in touchscreen infotainment screen next to it.

However, you get a third 14.0in passenger touchscreen from AMG Line Premium trim, which means the passenger can stream videos or play games independently of the main infotainment system. The only trouble is the driver can also see what’s on the screen, and it'll only turn off due to prolonged glances. It can be a distracting thing to have in your peripheral vision – we'd prefer if it was polarised (like in the Audi Q6 e-tron).

If you go for the top-tier AMG Line Premium Plus trim there’s also a fourth screen, because it comes with a head-up display as standard.

Whichever screen you are looking at, the graphics are smart and what’s displayed is in high definition. As far as the touchscreens are concerned, the software is responsive whether you’re scrolling lists, swiping a map, or simply tapping an icon. The icons are generally big and easy to hit as well.

It’s a shame there are so few physical buttons and so much is controlled via touchscreen, though. It makes using the features more distracting while driving, although the GLB’s not alone in this approach. These days the BMW X3 is something of a rarity, with its physical iDrive rotary controller to make navigating the infotainment system on the move easier.

You get some additional touch-sensitive buttons in the GLB, including a useful row below the infotainment screen and on the steering wheel. But the steering wheel buttons are easy to trigger accidentally and would be so much better if, again, they were proper physical controls.

The infotainment system has all the kit you’d expect, including wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, four 100W USB-C ports, sat nav, and – from Sport Executive trim – wireless phone charging. It also has features you wouldn’t necessarily expect as standard, such as ChatGPT- and Microsoft Bing-powered voice-control and search, and a facial recognition camera.

The camera operates the biometric login, so when you get in, the car recognises you and switches to your profile. It also means you can park up and conduct a Zoom meeting.

Most versions of the GLB have an eight-speaker, 125W stereo, but the top trim swaps that for a Burmester 3D surround sound system, with 16 speakers and 850W.

"The Mercedes GLB is packed with headline technology, but sometimes it’s more about the little things; I really like the 100W USB-C ports that charge up your devices really quickly." – John Howell, Deputy Reviews Editor

Passenger & boot space

How it copes with people and clutter

How much space does it have for people?

The Mercedes GLB isn’t as vast as some seven-seat SUVs, such as the Hyundai Santa Fe or Kia EV9, but it’s big enough, especially in the front seats. Some of our testers are well-north of six-feet tall and they had plenty of head and leg room up front; and, while there are broader cars in the class, you hardly feel hemmed in.

Storage space is plentiful, too. The door bins are seriously deep, as is the useful cubby under the front centre armrest. The centre console is double stacked, with a tray (or wireless charging pad on all but the entry-level Sport trim) and two cup holders on the upper tier, and a large storage area beneath. Plus, you get a glovebox – although in the left-hand-drive cars we’ve tried it’s quite small.

The second-row seats have a rear armrest that folds down to reveal another pair of cup holders, and the rear door bins are also a useful size. The second row-bench slides and reclines, and with the seats fully reclined – to maximise leg room – tall adults in the outer seats will have head and leg room to spare. To make life even better, there’s loads of foot space under the front seats.

Shoulder room will be tight with three large adults spread across the rear bench, although three smaller adults should be fine. In addition to having plenty of leg room, there’s no floor tunnel to take up the middle passenger’s foot space. Head room beneath the standard panoramic roof is fine, too.

Can large adults fit in the third row? Technically, yes. The rear-most seats fold out easily from the boot floor, but accessing them through the narrow apertures – created by sliding the second-row forwards – is a squeeze for anyone tall or broad. And once they’re seated, the space is more appropriate for smaller adults or kids – mainly because head room is tight.

Leg room is okay as long as the middle-row passengers play ball: you need the middle seats slid forward to improve leg room in the back. So in seven-seater terms, the GLB is similar to the Land Rover Discovery Sport rather than the truly massive Hyundai Santa Fe or Kia EV9.

How much room does it have for luggage?

In five-seater mode, you get a useful 540 litres below the tonneau cover (1715 litres if you drop the 40/20/40 split-folding second-row and measure up to the roof).

In other words, the GLB’s boot pretty much matches rivals’ such as the BMW X3 and Discovery Sport, so you’ll get a couple of large-ish suitcases in there, no problem. Even with the GLB’s third-row seats in place there’s still room for a few soft bags. Also, bear in mind there’s an additional 127-litre boot under the bonnet – enough for a travel-sized suitcase.

Still, there are much more practical alternatives if a big boot is your priority. An EV9, for instance, musters a massive 828 litres of space behind its second-tier seats.

“The Mercedes GLB’s third-row seats are perfect for kids, especially as they come with Isofix mounts. Even so, I’m 6’3” (191cm) and I squeezed in the third row; it was tight but I could’ve stuck it for a quick trip.” – John Howell, Deputy Reviews Editor

Buying & owning

Everyday costs, plus how reliable and safe it is

How much does it cost and what equipment do you get?

This is where things get interesting – in a good way. Why? Well, the Mercedes GLB is, rather obviously, a Mercedes. So you’d expect it to be expensive, right? Except that if you’re looking at the mild hybrid petrol, the starting price is lower than a Land Rover Discovery Sport’s and it’s massively cheaper than an entry-level BMW X3.

If you’re contemplating the GLB Electric it’s the same story. The Electric adds a few thousand pounds to the price compared with the mild hybrid petrol, but if you’re a cash buyer it’s pretty much the same price as the most basic Peugeot e-5008 – and that has a shorter official range. We’d also expect the GLB to work out cheaper on PCP finance. That’s thanks to stronger resale values, but it does depend on what deals are being offered at the time, so make sure to check.

And it’s not as if Mercedes has drained the GLB of all luxuries, either. The cheapest Sport trim has a reasonable amount of kit, which is why we reckon it’s the pick of the line-up. And if you’ve read all of this review, you’ll know about some of the features it comes with: a comprehensive infotainment system, LED headlights, front and rear parking sensors and rear-view camera. You also get 18in alloy wheels, single-zone climate control, heated front seats, keyless go, auto lights and wipers, power-folding door mirrors, auto-dimming rear-view mirror, and faux-leather seats.

Sport Executive is worth considering as well. It’s still good value and adds rear privacy glass, rear centre armrest, ambient interior lighting, aluminium interior trims, and wireless phone charging.

AMG Line Executive is basically the same spec as Sport Executive, but with AMG styling inside and out. So it comes with sports front seats trimmed in faux-leather and suede, and a nappa-leather-trimmed steering wheel.

For a more substantial upgrade you’ll need to plump for AMG Line Premium, which bags you 19in alloys, dual-zone climate control, electrically adjustable front seats, keyless entry, a powered hands-free tailgate, and the 14.0in passenger display.

Top-spec AMG Line Premium Plus is pricey but adds a heated steering wheel, along with features we’ve talked about already, including adaptive LED headlights, head-up display, and a 360-deg camera.

Is it reliable, and how long is the warranty?

The GLB is too new to appear in our most recent What Car? Reliability Survey. However, Mercedes as a brand does, and it placed 22nd out of the 31 manufacturers included, which obviously isn't brilliant. It’s way below BMW (sixth) and Tesla (seventh), but it still placed higher than Land Rover (26th).

As standard, you get a three‑year unlimited-mileage manufacturer’s warranty, which is the minimum expected; many manufacturers offer superior cover, including BYD, Hyundai, Kia, Lexus, MG and Toyota. The battery on the GLB Electric is covered for up to eight years or 100,000 miles.

How safe is it, and is it easy to steal?

The independent experts at Euro NCAP haven’t crash-tested the GLB yet, but we’ll let you know how it fairs when they have.

It does come with plenty of standard safety equipment, though, including a full suite of airbags, a sophisticated automatic emergency braking (AEB), blind-spot monitoring, lane-keeping assist and an evasive steering function.

Usefully, you get Isofix mounts in the two outer second-row seats as well as the fold-out third-row seats.

As far as security is concerned, you get an alarm (audible and visual – via the hazard lights) and immobiliser as standard.

"I expected the Mercedes GLB to command a price premium compared with mainstream rivals, like the Peugeot e-5008, but, all things considered, it’s actually better value." – John Howell, Deputy Reviews Editor

Buy it if...

- You need seven seats
- You value a polished ride and tidy handling
- You look for good value and badge prestige

Don't it if...

- You will carry tall adults regularly in the third-row seats
- You need a seven-seater with a huge boot
- A solid reliability record is paramount

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