TO B OR NOT TO B(some text hidden)

By Jonathan Crouch

Ten Second Review word count: 57

The Mercedes GLB delivers to the market the first properly practical mid-sized SUV from the Three-Pointed Star. There's enough room for seven seats, enough capability for light off road excursions and enough of a premium feel to make other class rivals feel rather low rent. In short, it's a potentially appealing package. Especially in this updated form.

Background word count: 204

So, the GLB: yet another Mercedes SUV. But this one, launched back in 2019, has a little more substance than its compact stablemates. The GLA suits only quite small families and the GLC is too expensive for larger ones - and can't be ordered with the third seating row that many of them need. In the same way that at the top of the Stuttgart brand's SUV range, the G-Class offers a practical alternative to a GLE, such is the role of a GLB against a GLA or a GLC. Still with me? If you are, then you'll be interested in the way that Mercedes wants to use this car to address a growing niche on the mid-sized family SUV class, that for seven seats. The VW Group currently does quite well here with ones like the Skoda Kodiaq, the SEAT Tarraco and the VW Tiguan Allspace. The Koreans provide the Hyundai Santa Fe and the Sorento, plus there's the 7-seat Nissan X-Trail and SsangYong Rexton models. There have to be buyers in that sub-sector who'd like a premium badge. The GLB, only now offered in 7-seat form, caters directly to them and aims to do so more effectively in this lightly updated form.

Driving Experience word count: 401

Pretty much all the engineering in play here was originally developed for frugal family hatchbacks, not go-anywhere Gelandewagens. Still, it's reassuring to know that it's been evolved a bit for this GLB, a longer wheelbase combined with a wider track and a stiffer body. Plus the raised suspension is of the sophisticated rear multi-link kind that only the most expensive and powerful versions Mercedes smaller models normally tend to get. All of which helps to mitigate the roly-poly handling that you might normally expect a relatively compact, tall boxy SUV to deliver. We're a bit less impressed with the ride, which can't be embellished with the adaptive damping system available in other markets. The GLB offers the same engine and powertrain combinations that you'll find in other compact Mercedes models. Which in this revised model means plenty of in-built electrification. All the mainstream petrol engines now come with the brand's 48V mild hybrid system including the usual MHEV belt-driven starter-generator: that'll give you a 13hp boost when moving off. There are now only three mainstream engines, all of them four cylinder units driving the front wheels. As before, the powerplant portfolio kicks off with the GLB 200, which uses a 163hp 1.4-litre petrol powerplant mated to 7-speed 7G-DCT auto transmission. The alternative is the GLB 200 d, which uses a 2.0-litre diesel powerplant in a 150hp state of tune and must be had with 8-speed 8G-DCT auto transmission. If you want AWD, the same 2.0-litre diesel engine also features in the 190hp GLB 220 d 4MATIC. With that 4MATIC set-up, you get an 'Off-road Package'. This gives you hill start and descent assistance, LED Multibeam headlights and an extra off-road driving mode called Downhill Speed Regulation which includes a special infotainment display showing gradient, technical settings and your various incline angles. As before, at the top of the range, there's also a performance-orientated Mercedes-AMG GLB variant, using engineering we've already seen in the A-Class. The GLB 35 4MATIC now gains the 48V mild hybrid system and offers a 306hp 2.0-litre petrol turbo engine mated to AMG SPEEDSHIFT DCT 8G dual-clutch auto transmission. Power comes through an 8-speed AMG SPEEDSHIFT DCT 8G dual-clutch auto gearbox with a race start function. Plus there's an AMG Dynamic Select driving modes system that as well as the three modes featured in other GLBs ('Comfort', 'Sport' and 'Individual') also features two further ones ('Slippery' and 'Sport+').