This all-new GLB is a brand new addition to the Mercedes-Benz SUV lineup for 2020 and what you’ll immediately notice about it, is that it has great boxy styling with cues borrowed from the iconic G-Class. I’m Liz Jeneault with SUVs.com, by the way, thank you so much for watching and big thanks to Mercedes-Benz of Cherry Hill for letting us check out their all-new GLB!
Features that stand out include the bold grille, elegant and functional roof rails, and the sizable wheels. The interior is not as elegant as some of Mercedes-Benz’s other SUVs, but you do get the impressive MBUX system with Apple CarPlay/Android Auto. It comes fit with 7” dual screens, but you can upgrade to have 10.3” screens. You’ll also need to upgrade to get navigation, leather seating, a panorama roof, the cool 64-color ambient lighting system, heated and ventilated seats, and other perks. And all that will add to the GLB’s cost.
While compact in size, the GLB’s interior feels far from it thanks to its upright design. Plus, there’s that optional third row. But, that row is going to be best fit for kids or for people under 5’6,” which would obviously include myself.
Under the hood is a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder that makes 221 horsepower. It’s paired to an eight-speed dual-clutch automatic and it’s plenty peppy for zipping this compact SUV around town. There’s optional 4MATIC all-wheel drive for added driving confidence and plenty of standard and available safety features at work. Or, there’s also an AMG performance version of this GLB to consider.
Recap and rating time now! I just love the upright, crisp lines of this all-new GLB. So, I’ll rate the exterior at an 8.5. While you do need to upgrade the interior to get the more luxe features, it is spacious for a compact SUV and it features MBUX. So, an 8. Performance, I’ll rate at an 8.5. Fuel economy with all-wheel drive is rated at 23 mpg city, 31 mpg highway. So, an 8 there. And overall value I’ll rate at an 8.5. Great design, optional third row, and solid tech at a much more affordable price than the GLE or GLS.
And that results in an SUVs.com deal score of 83/100. What do you think about this all-new GLB? Leave a comment below.