Premium seven-seat SUV is subtly tweaked in an effort to stave off the pressure of new rivals On sale Now Price from £38,745
George Hill george.hill@haymarket.com
WHEN IT COMES to SUVs, Mercedes-Benz has pretty much every niche covered. Looking for a rugged yet prestigious off-roader? The G-Class is for you. Want something big, luxurious and also electric? The EQS SUV has you covered. So, where does the GLB fit in?
Well, the GLB is for families who want a posh seven-seater but don’t want anything enormous. Its closest rival is the similarly accommodating Land Rover Discovery Sport, and despite looking every inch the SUV, the GLB actually shares its underpinnings with the rather smaller A-Class hatchback.
Launched back in 2019, the GLB has now been updated with exterior styling tweaks, a revised infotainment system and modified petrol engines. Really, the revisions seem minor, but with an all-new version of its Hyundai Santa Fe rival arriving soon, the GLB can’t afford to stand still.
The GLB 200’s 1.3-litre four-cylinder petrol engine now has mild hybrid assistance in a bid to bolster performance and fuel economy. Power is unchanged at 161bhp, but electrical assistance is said to make more of it available at low revs.
We have yet to try that engine, but it’ll have a tough job to beat the 2.0-litre diesel of our 220d test car, which is unchanged. It produces 187bhp and has lots of low-down muscle – more than the lower-powered 200d diesel, and (on paper) more than the 200 petrol. A 0-62mph time of 7.8sec makes the 220d more than a second quicker from 0-62mph than the 200d and beats the Discovery Sport D200 too. A 302bhp petrol GLB 35 AMG continues to be available for those who really want to get a move on. It, too, has mild hybrid assistance.
The 220d’s engine rumbles a bit when worked hard, but it’s nicely hushed when cruising at motorway speeds. However, there is some suspension noise and the door mirrors whip up some wind rustle. Overall, the Discovery Sport is a quieter car to travel in.
The Discovery Sport has a comfier ride, too; the GLB is by no means punishing, but the firmer set-up means you’re jostled around in your seat over uneven surfaces.
Still, it handles with reasonable composure for a seven-seater, resisting body lean marginally better than the Discovery Sport, and its steering is well enough weighted to inspire confidence in corners.
Inside, the infotainment touchscreen has grown from 7.0in to 10.3in. It’s a shame,
