Next-gen overhaul for versatile Merc

Mercedes has revealed its next-generation GLB, building on the success of the relatively compact seven-seat model.

For a start, the EQB has been rolled into the wider GLB line-up as an electric variant, which will initially launch in either rear-wheel drive GLB250+ or all-wheel drive GLB350 trims.

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Outputs for the rear-drive version are 200kW and 335Nm, while the 350 adds an additional front motor for total outputs of 260kW and 515Nm.

In addition, the new car’s 800-volt architecture allows an ultra-rapid DC charging rate of up to 320kW, allowing 260km of range to be added in just 10 minutes, according to the brand.

Interestingly, the electric GLB features a two-speed transmission on the rear axle for better efficiency and improved power delivery. This would make the GLB the only other mass-market EV to feature a multi-speed transmission outside the Porsche Taycan and Audi e-tron GT.

While further details are yet to be revealed, the brand notes the two-speed transmission should allow the GLB to have a “high towing capacity.”

Post the electric version’s launch, three hybrid powertrains will be added to the line-up in either front- or all-wheel drive configurations.

All will use a 1.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine with 48-volt assistance, as well as a drive motor mounted inside the eight-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission.

This motor allows the hybrid GLB to drive electrically until more than 20kW of power is required, and from there it still assist acceleration in tandem with engine power. Mercedes will reveal more details, like power and torque outputs, for the combustion GLB variants closer to their international launch.

Although the design of the new GLB looks very familiar to the previous car, it has grown in nearly every dimension, with additional leg- and headroom in all three rows, as well as a 60mm longer wheelbase. Additionally, boot capacity has grown in all variants.

Both the electric and hybrid GLBs will be able to be chosen in either five- or seven-seat layouts for the new-generation version.

Perhaps the most notable interior change is the amount of screen real estate, which can now optionally span the entire dashboard.

The ‘MBUX Superscreen’ as it is called consists of the regular 10.25-inch digital instrument panel, as well as dual 14.0-inch touchscreens for the central multimedia panel and front passenger display.

The system features ‘virtual assistant’ software which integrates both ChatGPT and Microsoft’s Bing search engine, as well as Google’s Gemini which helps to power the also-integrated Google Maps suite.

Elsewhere, the GLB now gets a ‘floating centre console’ design with a contemporary wireless phone charger cut-out and physical controls have notably made a return to the steering wheel.

In order to make the GLB quieter and more efficient, it also now has a lower drag coefficient (0.28 Cd), with the body specifically designed for low wind noise. There are also better door seals, plus some models will be equipped with acoustic laminated glass.

The now-standard panoramic sunroof also features electrochromatic dimming, allowing the panel to be turned either transparent or opaque, and it also features an illumination function as part of the ambient interior lighting system.

The fully electric GLB variants will feature support for vehicle-to-load (V2L) and vehicle-to-grid (V2G) applications in certain markets, allowing them to power household appliances or use the battery to power an entire home, so long as the home is equipped with the right hardware, and local regulations allow. The brand says this feature will be enabled post-launch via an over-the-air update.

Expect more information for the Australian market for the new GLB over the course of 2026.