New Mercedes GLB Electric 2026 review: a big leap forward from the old EQB
It doesn’t come cheap, but the new electric Mercedes GLB has definitely made a move in the right direction
Verdict
The new Mercedes GLB builds on the strengths of the original, namely its handsome looks, plush and spacious cabin, and comfortable ride, but is more versatile and adds lots of cutting-edge tech. The electric version also represents a big leap forward from its EQB predecessor, but the top-spec models are rather pricey. It’s not able to comfortably ferry around a Rugby sevens team either, but even so the GLB remains a unique offering in the premium SUV segment – and an even more attractive one now.
The Mercedes GLB has never been considered the best premium SUV, but it’s always stood out from the rest of the Chelsea tractors. Crucially, it appealed to family buyers in search of some extra versatility, because it offered seating for seven in a car that’s not so colossal you can’t find a parking space.
Now the all-new, second generation of the butch baby seven-seat SUV has arrived and it’s designed to be more spacious and more flexible, helped by a choice of efficient hybrid or pure-electric powertrains. The EVs boast up to 380 miles of range, lightning-fast charging and a 2,000kg towing capacity.
The new GLB undeniably looks a lot like the old model, because it has stuck to the same almost cubic silhouette, tall roofline and short overhangs that help to maximise cabin space; combined with the squared-off wheelarches, they give it a mini G-Class-esque look. However, compared to the old car, the new GLB looks more assertive and slightly sleeker.
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Compared with its predecessor, the new model is nearly 100mm longer and its wheelbase has been stretched by 60mm, making it nearly the same size as the BMW X3, rather than the entry-level X1 that’s much closer in price.
The extra girth has created more space inside the Mercedes, particularly for those in the middle row. Six-foot-tall adults have plenty of room to stretch out back there, and the panoramic glass roof – which comes as standard on every model – makes the cabin feel more airy and spacious. The lack of any hump in the floor will help when trying to seat three across the middle row too, plus there’s a set of air vents and USB-C charging ports.
Fitting a child seat should be very easy thanks to the big and wide rear door openings – which are larger than they were on the previous GLB – and all the car’s Isofix mounting points are covered by detachable plastic covers, rather than being hidden behind annoying zips.
In the UK, every new GLB comes as standard with seven seats and features four sets of Isofix points – two in the middle row and two in the rearmost row.
The second row has been designed to fold and slide more as well, to make access to the rearmost seats easier. Moving the seats around is easy, and surprisingly we didn’t struggle to get into the seats in the third row either. However, there’s still not enough space for most adults to sit comfortably back there, with legroom being the biggest limitation. Small children – and probably teenagers – should be fine, though.
With all seven seats in place, the new GLB offers 145 litres of boot space, which is sufficient for a few shopping bags plus, handily, there’s room under the floor to stow the parcel shelf.
You only need to pull a tab to lower the third-row seats, and doing so opens up 480 litres – about the same as in the latest BMW X1 and Audi Q3, but less than the last GLB. Fortunately, the second row slides forward by up to 140mm which gives you an extra 140 litres, while folding all but the front seats down provides 1,605 litres of space to play with.
Also, with a towing capacity of up to two tonnes, the new GLB can haul large caravans, or you can use the towbar to carry up to 100kg of e-bikes or other outdoor gear. The GLB Electric is even more practical, with its 127-litre ‘frunk’ under the bonnet roomy enough for two carry-on suitcases and another small backpack.
The dashboard features the same screen-centric dashboard design as the new Mercedes CLA, with every model getting a super-sharp 10.25-inch driver’s display and a whopping 14-inch central touchscreen.
The latest iteration of Mercedes’ MBUX infotainment system is intuitive and 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 is built in, plus there’s a slick AI-powered virtual assistant, and wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
Top-of-the-range models add another 14-inch touchscreen for the front passenger that your kids can use to stream videos while they’re being ferried about. Importantly, that third screen can’t be used unless there’s someone sitting in the passenger seat – and if the system detects the driver is looking over at whatever someone’s watching on their screen, it will be deactivated.
The ‘floating’ centre console has a sizable open storage space underneath for odds and ends, with another pair of USB-C charging ports and an elastic strap to stop phones or anything else flying out while you’re driving. A nice touch, we think.
Quality overall is impressive, and we particularly liked the supple brown baseball glove-like leather that had been added to our test car, paired with the silver carbon fibre-effect trim on the centre console and doors that comes with AMG Line trim. However, the lower parts of the cabin are made from harder plastics.
The new GLB also gets the same brand-new MMA platform and assortment of powertrains as the super-sleek CLA. Hybrids feature a 1.5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine offered in three states of tune – 134bhp, 161bhp or 188bhp – linked to an eight-speed dual-clutch transmission with a 30bhp e-motor built in. The 0-62mph sprint takes from around 7.5 to 10 seconds, depending on the model, and Mercdes says this set-up can return up to 47.9mpg, which is the same as diesel versions of the old model.
However, we’ve been driving the two electric variants: the rear-drive 250+ with 268bhp and the all-wheel-drive 350 4MATIC that offers a heartier 349bhp. Both feature an 85kWh battery that offers 350 to 380 miles of range, which isn’t the longest of any electric mid-size SUV but is certainly much better than the old Mercedes EQB, which could only manage 264 to 322 miles.
The bigger improvement is the GLB Electric’s 320kW maximum charging speed, which comes courtesy of an 800-volt electrical architecture and is more than three times faster than the EQB was capable of. Find a charger quick enough, and drivers can add more than 160 miles of range in just 10 minutes – or a typical 10-80 per cent top-up will take 22 minutes.
The EV also benefits from a two-speed transmission – an uncommon feature in electric cars – that helps boost efficiency and provides punchy acceleration, both around town and on long motorway journeys.
The single-motor 250+ has enough oomph for the school run and smooth, effortless if somewhat leisurely acceleration up to motorway speed. Although admittedly that’s our impression with just one person onboard.
If you’re going to make full use of the space in this car by carrying six plus their luggage and maybe haul a caravan at the same time, it might be worth splashing out on the more powerful GLB 350 4MATIC. This slashes the 0-62mph time from 7.4 seconds to 5.5 seconds, yet the acceleration still isn’t as intense as in some other electric SUVs.
Either way, you can feel the weight of this car through the corners; a mass of up to 2.3 tonnes is hard to disguise, but while the car does lean a fair bit, the body movements are gentle and well controlled. The steering is direct and well weighted too, visibility is good all round and the driving position is suitably lofty.
Meanwhile, there are four levels for the regenerative braking including a very firm ‘strong’ mode that allows for one-pedal driving – which is great in town – and an adaptive ‘intelligent’ mode for those who aren’t used to regen yet and just want to ‘set it and forget it’.
Interestingly, the new GLB is able to receive data from other suitably equipped Mercedes on the road and will warn the driver of any potholes or large imperfections in the road coming up, which it does so by sporadically saying the word “bump”. If you still go over one, this can send a noticeable thump into the cabin, but the suspension does a very good job of absorbing the impact.
The car does fidget slightly too, but overall it feels like a composed SUV. Combined with only a small amount of road and wind noise penetrating into the cabin, the GLB is a soothing and calm place, as you’d expect a family car or indeed a Mercedes to be.
If you get bored of the quiet, the EV also gets ‘sound worlds’ to accompany the driving experience with some of the most bizarre names imaginable including Vivid Flux, Roaring Pulse and our personal favourite, Granular Fuzz, which makes it sound like you’re being chased by a swarm of angry hornets, which is sure to amuse your passengers.
The new Mercedes GLB is on sale now, with prices starting from £42,070 for the hybrid version and £46,100 for the EV. That makes it more expensive than compact premium SUVs including the BMW X1 and Audi Q3, but they don’t have seven seats or full-hybrid tech as standard. The same goes for the similarly sized X3 and Q5, which both start from over £53k.
The GLB Electric’s most direct rival is the Tesla Model Y 7-Seater, but that costs nearly £55k and has a very similar range of 372 miles.
Prices for a fully loaded GLB can reach around £60k, which puts the new EV in the same price bracket as the larger, even more advanced Mercedes GLC Electric or BMW iX3 that offer more range, too. Picking between them simply comes down to whether you really need seven seats or not, but if you do, the Mercedes GLB is a compelling option.
| Model: | Mercedes GLB 250+ Electric AMG Line Premium |
| Price: | £53,700 |
| On sale: | Now |
| Powertrain: | 85kWh battery, 1x e-motor |
| Power/torque: | 268bhp/335Nm |
| Transmission: | Two-speed automatic, rear-wheel drive |
| 0-62mph: | 7.4 seconds |
| Top speed: | 130mph |
| Range: | 363 miles |
| Max. charging: | 320kW (10-80% in 22 mins) |
| Size (L/W/H): | 4,728/1,860/1,689mm |
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