New Mercedes GLB has enough giant screens to challenge Times Square

This is our first look inside the all-new second-generation Mercedes GLB ahead of the boxy baby seven-seat SUV’s world debut on 8 December.

The new GLB will be based on the same MMA platform as the latest Mercedes CLA, and will be available with the same cutting-edge hybrid and EV technology. So it’s not surprising that the sleek saloon’s minimalist, tech-focused interior has been carried over almost wholesale as well. 

Mercedes calls the wall of screens covering the entirety of the dashboard the MBUX Superscreen. In the CLA, it consists of a 10.25-inch driver’s display, a whopping 14-inch central touchscreen and another 14-inch touchscreen just for the front passenger. These should all be exactly the same in the new GLB.

The Superscreen set-up will only come as standard on higher-spec versions of the GLB, though, and be offered as an optional extra on selected others. Those models that do without will feature the same dashboard design, just with a textured panel where the passenger screen would go.

The latest fourth-generation of Mercedes’ MBUX infotainment system is also packed with features such as the ‘zero layer’ interface that offers the driver all the functions they regularly use or might want on the homescreen, Google Maps integrated directly into the navigation system and an AI-powered virtual assistant.

Flanking the screens are turbine-style air vents, while below the main touchscreen is a floating centre console with some of the few buttons in the GLB, a spot for your smartphone (a wireless charging pad will be optional) and, of course, cup-holders. Plus there’s a sizable open storage space underneath for odds and ends. 

But while the CLA’s steering wheel only features touch-sensitive panels, following feedback from customers, the one in the GLB has physical rocker switches for the volume and adaptive cruise control. 

As with the current model, the new GLB will be offered with a choice of five- or seven-seat layouts, and the second row of seats will be able to slide forward when drivers need more luggage space. 

However, Mercedes says that there will be more space onboard the new model. In particular, headroom for those sitting in the second row is improved, thanks to the tall roofline of the SUV and a standard-fit panoramic glass roof, plus there is extra legroom and better underthigh support. It’s also claiming getting into the third-row in seven-seater versions of the new GLB will be easier.

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What will the new Mercedes GLB look like?

Based on various pictures of prototypes undergoing testing, the new Mercedes GLB is going to look pretty much the same as the last one. And that’s not a bad thing. 

Even from these latest pictures of the new GLB covered in ice from extreme cold weather testing, it’s clear that Mercedes hasn’t substantially changed the SUV’s boxy design. 

The headlights will incorporate the new three-pointed star light signature introduced by the CLA and that now features on all the brand’s latest creations. An oversized, possibly illuminated, three-pointed star emblem will sit in the heart of the grille, presumably surrounded with lots of tiny three-pointed stars, just like on the CLA, too.

It appears the rear will have a more dramatically different feel, with a thin lightbar running in an upside-down U shape under the back window. There will also be some other off-road design elements such as roof rails, black wheelarch surrounds and faux skid plates.

The hybrid and electric versions of the new GLB will look almost identical, with the only visual giveaway likely to be a blanked-off grille for the EV.

What engines will be available in the new Mercedes GLB?

Mercedes’ brand-new MMA platform was designed with an “electric first” philosophy, but it can also accommodate petrol-hybrid powertrains, as we’ve already seen in the CLA. 

The hybrids will use a new, highly compact 1.5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine mated to a 48V mild-hybrid system that uses an e-motor integrated directly into an eight-speed dual-clutch transmission. Various power outputs should be available, and 4Matic all-wheel drive.

The GLB with EQ Technology will be the official name for the electric version, and it should be offered with two battery sizes: 58kWh and 88kWh. Most variants will have a single motor for rear-wheel drive but there is likely to be a dual-motor, all-wheel drive, too.

Thanks to a highly efficient drivetrain, we expect the larger battery to give the GLB with EQ Technology well over 400 miles of range. Meanwhile, an 800V electrical system should allow for charging speeds of up to 320kW – nearly three times the speed the outgoing Mercedes EQB is capable of. 

A two-speed transmission for the rear-mounted e-motor helps boost efficiency, provide punchy acceleration at low speeds and a more relaxed demeanour when cruising on the motorway.

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