The new Mercedes Benz GLB, an electric SUV built for everyday life
Mercedes Benz will launch a new fully electric GLB next spring, a seven seat urban SUV that promises to combine technology, practicality and a touch of luxury in every battery charge.
This latest GLB becomes the brand’s first compact SUV to move completely into the electric era. The base version, GLB 250+, delivers 200 kW or 272 horsepower and a range of up to 629 kilometres on the WLTP cycle. The GLB 350 4MATIC adds all wheel drive and lifts output to 354 horsepower. Both versions use an 85 kWh battery and an eight hundred volt electrical system capable of adding 260 kilometres of range in ten minutes when the charger and the weather cooperate.
Mercedes positions the GLB as an everyday hero, a practical and roomy electric SUV with seating for up to seven and a luggage capacity of 1715 litres. A sliding second row and a 127 litre frunk add flexibility, although only the curious will bother to open the bonnet often enough to notice the space.
Terrain Mode and a towing capacity of two tonnes give the GLB a hint of adventure on paper, yet the car feels more at home on tarmac than on a forest track.
Inside, the Superscreen MBUX setup dominates. Three displays run on the new MB.OS operating system. The virtual assistant draws on ChatGPT and Google AI to hold natural conversations with the driver. The return of physical buttons is perhaps the most human touch in a cabin that is otherwise unapologetically digital.
Design highlights include ninety four illuminated stars within the front grille and one hundred and fifty eight LEDs scattered through the interior. The effect hints at the direction Mercedes intends to take, a blend of subtle sparkle and everyday usefulness.
