A brand-new Mercedes-Benz GLB has been unveiled. As before, the SUV will be available in a five- or seven-seat layout, though it's more spacious. The electric versions will retain the GLB badge this time around - instead of "EQB” - and they'll be joined in the lineup by hybrid models.
I'm seeing stars...
Yes, the Mercedes design language of today does make a very big deal of the firm's three-pointed-star motif, doesn't it? You can spot the design in the front and rear lights and there are even 94 stars in the grille up front.
On the electric GLB, those light up, as does the central Mercedes badge, though the hybrid variants' radiator grille differs slightly. That's about the only visual difference between the two, incidentally.
The front end of the new GLB mixes styling cues from the new Mercedes CLA with a larger grille inspired by the new Mercedes GLC - though without all of its bling.
The side profile is familiar enough (though the GLB is an all-new car sitting on a longer wheelbase) except perhaps for the flush-fitting door handles and prominent wraparound rear lights.
Viewed from the rear, those lights span the entire width of the GLB, though it's quite a smooth finish in general at the back, with the tailgate opened via the Mercedes logo.
Does the GLB still seat seven?
Indeed it does, and Mercedes has seemingly worked hard to make it even more spacious than before. Owners of the EQB had to put up with compromised space in the back in comparison to the combustion-engined GLB, but no longer.
Thanks to the increased wheelbase (that's the distance between the front and rear wheels) and significant repackaging, there's far more space in the back of the new electric GLB than there was in the old EQB, including a bigger boot.
If we're reading the press pack right, all versions of the GLB get a panoramic glass roof, while some get the option to 'dim' the roof electrically. Irish-market specifications have yet to be confirmed.
Buyers can choose from a five-seat layout or add the third row of seats, in which there's a little more room than before as well. In the seven-seat GLB, the second row slides so the available space can be divvied up. There are ISOFIX child-seat mountings in both rear rows in the seven-seater.
In the five-seat GLB, the boot volume behind the rear seats is quoted as 540 litres, though that drops to 480 litres if the car has seven seats and the rearmost ones are folded down. The electric GLB, meanwhile, gets a massive 'frunk' under the bonnet that holds up to 127 litres extra.
Tell us more about the electric model
Mercedes has released the details for two of the electric GLBs while confirming that an entry-level option is also in the pipeline.
First up is the GLB 250+ with EQ Technology, and yes, that's the full official title. It is powered by a rear-mounted, 200kW electric motor. That means up to 272hp to the rear wheels, and up to 335Nm of torque. Consequently, it's rapid for a two-wheel-drive family SUV, with 0-100km/h taking 7.4 seconds, for example.
The GLB 350 4Matic with EQ Technology gets an extra electric motor, which drives the front wheels when required (it has a neat decoupling feature to enhance efficiency). Peak power and torque for this model are 353hp and 515Nm, respectively. Unsurprisingly, it's much faster, with 0-100km/h in just 5.5 seconds.
Of more interest to buyers will be range and efficiency, of course. These models use the same nickel-manganese-cobalt battery packs with 85kWh of usable energy capacity. The GLB 250+ manages up to 631 kilometres on a charge (in WLTP conditions), while the GLB 350 4Matic's figure is as high as 614km.
Both come with variable brake energy regeneration to the driver's preference, with analysis of the road and even cars ahead taken into consideration when in fully automatic mode.
Incidentally, partially due to the adoption of a two-speed transmission for the electric motor, the 4Matic model can tow up to 2,000kg.
Thanks to an 800-volt electrical architecture, the electric GLBs can charge at up to 320kW on a suitably powerful DC charger, and up to 22kW on a three-phase AC supply. The GLB is due to get bidirectional charging as part of a later over-the-air update.
Will I have to plug in the hybrid GLB?
No, it's not a plug-in hybrid. Full details have yet to be confirmed, but we do know that the hybrid GLB uses a 1.5-litre, four-cylinder petrol engine, assisted by a 48-volt system integrated with a new eight-speed, dual-clutch, automatic transmission.
The battery pack is a modest 1.3kWh in capacity to allow for low-speed, engine-off driving and 'coasting' at up to 100km/h, while the system can also recuperate energy when the car is slowing down.
Any other technology of note?
Mercedes has fitted the GLB with a particularly high-specification computing system to future-proof it for regular over-the-air updates, and it's capable from the off of high-level driver assistance. Buyers can also specify adjustable damping, which is paired with the 20-inch alloy wheels shown by default.
In a showroom, however, potential buyers will no doubt gravitate toward the impressive-looking "MBUX Superscreen”. It includes a 10.25-inch display for the digital instruments, a 14-inch central touchscreen and another 14-inch touchscreen ahead of the front-seat passenger all integrated in one surface. Large, round air vents protrude through this on either end.
We're not sure how much of this will be standard on the GLB that comes to Ireland.
When is the new Mercedes GLB coming to Ireland?
The exact arrival date has yet to be confirmed, but it will certainly be during 2026 at some stage. Irish pricing has not yet been announced, either.