Mercedes-Benz GLB-Class vs Bentley Bentayga

What's the difference?

It’s easy to say the GLB35 doesn’t deserve to be called an AMG when looking at its credentials on paper, but get behind the wheel and it’s evident Affalterbach played a key role in making it feel as special to drive as it should be.

The GLB35 has all of the great qualities of the GLB250 and other GLB variants, but successfully adds a performance focus to make for an even more compelling package.

Indeed, the GLB35 proves you can pretty much have it all.

The Bentley Bentayga Azure may look a bit awkward and it surely isn't great value for money, but it is a true Bentley and a very good family SUV that not only provides terrific practicality but superb performance and comfort.

With the boxy and therefore rugged-looking GLB laying some great foundations, it’s no surprise the GLB35 looks pretty damn good – to these eyes, at least.

Being an AMG model, it stands out from the crowd with an aggressive body kit, with the chunky bumpers, aerodynamic roof spoiler and racy rear diffuser all unique alongside the now-signature Panamericana grille insert.

A set of 20-inch alloy wheels with 255/40 tyres ups the ante at the side, where the carryover black plastic wheel-arch and skirt cladding serves as an obligatory reminder that this is an SUV.

Also of note are the nicely designed LED headlights and tail-lights, which literally light the way, but there’s no getting past the bespoke diffuser element, which integrates the sports exhaust system’s dual 90mm tailpipes.

Inside, the GLB35 is a technological tour de force, with a pair of 10.25-inch high-resolution displays proudly sitting side by side atop the dashboard, with one the central touchscreen and the other the digital instrument cluster.

Both are powered by Mercedes-Benz’s MBUX multimedia system, which arguably remains the best there is today thanks its speed and breadth of functionality and input methods.

The GLB35 is also properly premium. Lugano leather upholstery covers the seats and armrests, while Nappa trims the sports steering wheel. Even the door shoulders and inserts get ‘cow hide’, although theirs is of the artificial variety.

Soft-touch materials are used for the upper dashboard, leaving hard plastics to the lower sections, which is what you’d expect for the price.

While the black headliner makes for a dark cabin, brightness comes from the metallic trim used throughout, notably on the steering wheel, dashboard, doors and centre console. And let’s not forget the pop of colour provided by the addictive ambient lighting.

And mercifully, scratch- and fingerprint-hungry gloss-black accents are limited to the surrounds of the turbine-style front air vents, dual-zone climate controls and centre console.

Unique to the GLB35 are Carbon Structure trim and stainless-steel sports pedals, just in case you forgot you weren’t driving a regular GLB.

You'd think of all automotive brands Bentley, with its beautiful swooping and powerful saloons, would be able to floor us with something just exquisite in SUV form. But right from the 2012 concept the Bentayga has struggled to stun the world with its design.

So, while there are Bentley family traits all over the Bentayga, from the intricate headlights and mesh grille, to the oval tail-lights and body which squats over the rear wheels, the overall design looks awkward to my eyes.

To me it appears the boxy design with the tall, flat roofline and elevated ride height favours practicality over the sleekness possessed by a lower, more coupe-like SUV.

I favour dark coloured clothes because it hides my shapes, creases and bulges, but these are the things you want to see in a car and our Bentley's 'Onyx Black' paint, despite being a beautiful colour with a blue hue added, make it a featureless blob in the sunlight.

A lighter shade or something outlandish like a turquoise or yellow would look amazing, and even better, upset your neighbours.

Let's look at the interior design which is lavish with all the quilted leather and Mulliner customisation, but lacks the modern look of many contemporary cabins with its smallish media screen and busy mosaic of buttons.

I like the little chrome plungers for the air vents, the winged styling to the dashboard and the stitched leather upholstery, but it's easy to spot parts that are shared by other members of the Volkswagen Group (which owns Bentley).

For example, there are the indicator and wiper stalks, as well as the steering wheel buttons, all from Audi. Surely Bentley should have its own crafted parts?

The interior colour scheme on our Bentayga is 'Beluga' (black) and 'Camel' (tan) and the Mulliner option split the colours with a cream tone.

From a family perspective the tan and black will hide dirt, although the cream will struggle. It's possibly the best leather on the planet, however, coming from cattle living high enough that their hides are unblemished by insect stings.

Measuring 4650mm long (with a 2829mm wheelbase), 1845mm wide and 1660mm tall, the GLB35 is more like the GLC43 in size than the GLA35, making it a mid-size SUV despite its small underpinnings. And that is good news for practicality.

Cargo capacity with the 50/50 split-fold third row stowed is more than solid, at 565 litres (VDA), but it can be increased to a cavernous 1800L with the 40/20/40 split-fold middle bench also not in use. If six or seven passengers are onboard, though, there’s very little room to move.

Nonetheless, the boot is still well packaged, featuring a huge aperture, no load lip, and a flat floor, which make loading and unloading bulkier items a hell of a lot easier. And even the load cover can be stored underfloor when out of action. How good.

There are also four tie-down points, two bag hooks, a side storage net and a 12V power outlet on hand to make matters even easier, while the rear seats can be stowed from the boot.

While we’re on the topic, Mercedes-Benz says the third row can accommodate passengers up to 168cm tall, with the middle bench able to slide fore and aft by up to 140mm.

Yes, I'm too tall, at 184cm, but I can still sit in the very back, although not in total comfort. All in all, about a centimetre of legroom and negligible headroom and toe-room are on offer there for me.

That said, getting in and out in the first place is the real challenge here, with the middle bench unable to tumble forward for easy ingress and egress. Yep, you’re not going to look smooth either way. Children can deal with it, but adults won’t be thrilled.

Therefore, the middle bench is the place to be, even when it’s slid all the way forward. Behind my driving position, it offers about a centimetre of legroom, but this can be increased to several inches by sliding it all the way back.

Either way, plenty of toe-room is available alongside more than an inch of headroom. The latter is more impressive when you consider that’s what you get with the standard dual-pane panoramic sunroof fitted.

Even better, the second row can seat three adults at a pinch, partly thanks to the low transmission tunnel, which means there’s the right amount of space for six fully grown feet across the two footwells. It goes without saying children will again be fine.

Speaking of which, four ISOFIX and five top-tether anchorage points are on hand for fitting up to four child seats across the second and third rows, which makes the GLB35 a serious option for families that like to be sporty.

There are plenty of in-cabin storage options, with the large central storage bin featuring a pair of USB-C ports, while the glovebox is also quite useful, even if it is oddly shaped. And there’s also a sunglasses holder in front of the rearview mirror.

The centre console’s cubby isn’t really designed for storage, with it basically taken up by two cupholders, another USB-C port and a wireless smartphone charger.

The front door bins can accommodate one small and two regular bottles each, which is great, while their rear counterparts can take one small and one regular apiece.

Second-row occupants also have access to a fold-down armrest with another pair of cupholders, but being of the retractable variety, they’re flimsy.

These passengers also have two USB-C ports, with the pair folding out below a small cubby and air vents, which are found at the back of the centre console. Storage nets are also fitted on the front seat backrests.

And don’t worry; the third row gets in on the action, with two cupholders (one regular, the other small) splitting the seats, which have individual USB-C ports and device straps to the sides.
 

Being shaped like a bus does nothing for the Bentayga's beauty but makes it spacious for cargo and roomy for people.

With its large doors and elevated ride height (the car can be lowered for easier access) it's great for families.

Our Bentayga is a five-seater, which is fine for my little family of four, but there are four- and seven-seat configurations available, too.

Second row legroom is exceptional, even for me at 189cm tall, and sitting behind my own driving position there's still plenty of room.

Headroom is also outstanding throughout. We could be a family that loves top hats, on our way to the top hat championships, and not have to remove our top hats. That's how good headroom and hat room is.

Sun blinds in the second row are vital in Australia, and the electric ones in the Bentayga raise and lower quickly, not just offering protection but also more privacy.

Storage is good throughout with big door pockets and five cupholders.

It seems the cabin space eats into the cargo area because the boot isn't overly large at 484 litres with all seats in place.

Buttons in the cargo area allow the rear of the car to be raised and lowered to make it easier to hoist items in the boot.

For devices there's a wireless phone charger up front along with USB ports in both rows.

Reviewing every type of car on the market provides a pretty good perspective, but when it comes to Bentleys we enter a realm where value-for-money often isn't as crucial as it is for more mainstream options.

The same goes for the price. Bentleys are among the most expensive cars in the world. So if, like me, you flinch at the thought of paying more than half a million dollars for an SUV, it may not be the car for us right now.

With that I can tell you the Bentley Bentayga Azure's list price is $475,000 and our car with all of its options comes to $515,000.

That's more money than any SUV from Mercedes-Benz and BMW costs. Even Range Rover can't quite reach that mark.

Only the likes of Aston Martin's DBX 707 and Lamborghini's Urus can match the price.

There are always bigger fish, though, and Rolls Royce's Cullinan swims in at $700,000, making the Bentayga's price seem quite reasonable.

Let's look at the standard features.

Coming standard on the Bentayga Azure are the prettiest LED headlights in the world. There are LED tail-lights, too, as well as a proximity key, roof rails and a panoramic glass roof, plus a hands-free tailgate.

Inside there's the 10.9-inch media screen, sat nav, wireless Apple CarPlay and wireless Android Auto.

The diamond quilting to the door trims is also standard and so are the Bentley sports pedals.

Many of these features are standard on lower grades in the Bentayga range, but the point in choosing the Azure is that many of the optional bundles on offer are fitted as standard here.

So, while leather upholstery is of course standard the 'Colour Specification' package gives you a choice of all interior colour combinations and an extended choice of hide colours.

The 'City Specification' brings extra safety tech like rear cross-traffic alert and a top view camera.

The 'Front Seat Comfort' specification adds 20-way power front seats, ventilation and massage as well as comfort headrests.

The 'Touring Specification' brings adaptive cruise control, a head up display, lane keeping assistance and 'Night Vision'.

And then the 'Sunshine Package' adds electric sun blinds, which are great for kids in the back.

Despite the multitude of standard packages there's plenty left to option on the Azure.

Our car was fitted with about a dozen options including piano black veneer ($5884), 22-inch alloy wheels ($4733), rear privacy glass ($2617), LED welcome lights ($2238), self-levelling wheel centre caps ($1208), a heated acoustic windscreen ($1094), luggage management for the boot ($937) and a heated steering wheel ($543).

Then there's Mulliner, Bentley's in-house customisation division which will personalise your Bentley.

The Mulliner custom features on our Bentayga Azure include the addition of an extra colour in the leather upholstery ($13,492), 'Honeycomb' stitching on the steering wheel ($5391) and contrasting stitching on the quilted areas of leather trim ($2688).

Best family features would have to be the privacy glass, temperature control in the second row and the rear sun blinds.

The second row also comes with a removable tablet which can be used to adjust the climate control, sunroof and media settings among other functions.

In the hands of children this is every parent's nightmare and there's a 100 percent chance of the tablet being lost forever, possibly on the motorway between Sydney and Canberra.

The GLB35 is powered by an uprated version of the GLB250’s 2.0-litre turbo-petrol four-cylinder petrol engine, with the AMG-fettled version producing a more substantial 225kW of power from 5800-6100rpm and 400Nm of torque from 3000-4000rpm (up from 165kW/350Nm).

This version is also matched to an eight-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission as well as Mercedes-AMG’s front-biased but fully variable 4Matic all-wheel-drive system.

Thanks to this combination, the GLB35 can sprint from 0-100km/h in just 5.2 seconds with launch control enabled, while its electronically limited top speed is 250km/h.

When Bentley stopped putting its W12 into the Bentayga this year I was unsurprised yet sad. The world is moving toward tighter fuel emissions but the twin-turbo petrol V8 in this Azure is still a beast.

The 4.0-litre turbo-petrol V8 is from the Audi family and I love it as much for its plentiful torque and superb acceleration as the deep rumble of its exhaust.

Making 404kW and 770Nm the V8 can lift and throw the 2.5-tonne Bentayga to 100km/h from a standstill in 4.5 seconds and onto a top speed of 290km/h. I reckon you could get it to 300km/h with the wind behind you.

Drive goes to all four wheels via an eight-speed transmission and a Torsen-type centre differential.

Default drive balance is 40/60 front to rear, with up to 70 per cent of power able to be sent to the front wheels and up to 85 per cent to the rear axle.

I don't think you'll be astounded to hear this powertrain uses a lot of fuel? Let's go there...

The GLB35’s fuel consumption on the combined-cycle test (ADR 81/02) is 8.3L per 100km, while its carbon dioxide emissions are 186 grams per km. All things considered, both claims are pretty decent.

In our real-world testing, though, we averaged a high 14.1L/100km over 75km of driving split between highways and country roads, so not your typical mix, then. A heavy right foot also played into that result, so expect a better return after a regular run.

For reference, the GLB35’s 60L fuel tank can be filled up with 98RON petrol at minimum.

Bentley says the Bentayga Azure with the V8 petrol engine will use an average of 11.4L/100km over a combination of open and urban roads.

But what happens if you live in the suburbs not far from the city and drive the Azure every day to do the school drop offs and trips to the shops and then take in some fun country roads? You use an average of 22.8L/100km according to the car's trip computer.

This is still not as high as I was expecting. I've driven V6-powered SUVs which use more than this under the same conditions.

That said, even when using as much fuel as Bentley says you should, an 85-litre fuel tank is only going to deliver an approximate 745km driving range.

The Bentley Bentayga doesn't have a safety rating as like many extremely high-end cars it hasn't been assessed by ANCAP or Euro NCAP.

That said, the Azure grade comes standard with an armoury of safety tech including AEB (with turn assistance), lane keeping assistance, blind-spot warning, rear cross-traffic alert, evasive steering assistance, and adaptive cruise control.

Front and rear parking sensors are standard (and the most relied-upon feature I use daily), while exit warning saved my child and myself more than a few times from leaping out into the traffic on the school run.

As with all Mercedes-AMG models, the GLB35 comes with a five-year/unlimited-kilometre warranty, which currently sets the standard for the premium market. It also comes with five years of roadside assistance.

The GLB35’s service intervals are long, at every 12 months or 25,000km (whichever comes first). Better yet, it’s available with a three-year/75,000km capped-price servicing plan, but it costs $2750, with the third visit alone incurring a $1300 charge.

The Bentayga is covered by Bentley's three-year/unlimited-kilometre warranty. Servicing is recommended every 12 months or 16,000km.

The good news is all new Bentley's have five years regular servicing included in the cost of the vehicle.