What's the difference?
We all know by now Mercedes-Benz loves to fill a niche, and if it can't find a niche to fill, it will create one. So, please welcome its latest niche-filler, the GLB.
Despite shaping up as a mid-sizer, the GLB is a small SUV… with a twist. Whereas other small SUVs have five seats, the GLB has seven, lending itself to unrivalled practicality.
So, does the GLB operate in the 'Goldilocks Zone', or is it an answer to a question no-one asked? We put its mid-range GLB 250 variant to test to find out.
Is 10 years long enough for a special birthday celebration? When you're a kid, hitting 'double figures' is a pretty big deal, and Audi's obviously in the mood to make some noise because it has lit the candles on a limited 10th anniversary version of its compact SUV rocket ship, the RS Q3.
Only 555 examples of the 'RS Q3 Sportback edition 10 years' will be produced for worldwide consumption, with Audi Australia capturing a batch of them and sending one our way for a brief blast as the fiery five-cylinder starts filtering into dealerships.
Well, Mercedes-Benz has done it again, finding (or creating, depending on your position) a niche and filling it. But unlike some others that preceded it, this example is a good one.
Despite its safety and handling shortcomings, the GLB 250 looks the part, is undeniably practical and serves up surprising performance, which means it's a winner in our books.
The Audi RS Q3 Sportback edition 10 years is dynamically brilliant, beautifully finished and surprisingly civilised on day-to-day duty. A polished compact performance package that even in this special 'get-it-while-you-can' guise offers compelling value relative to its direct competitors.