Mercedes-Benz GLB arrives Down Under from $59,900

 MERCEDES-BENZ Cars Australia has lobbed the pricing and specification details of its new baby GLB seven-seat SUV, with two of the three variants set to be offered here already available for order.

Underpinned by the same platform as the A-Class hatch and sedan, B-Class, CLA and GLA, the GLB is the biggest member of the brand’s ‘compact portfolio’ and the only one to offer seating for seven.

The wheelbase is 100mm longer than that of the equivalent B-Class while front headroom is a claimed best in class at 1035mm with an “especially comfortable” 967mm of legroom in the second row.

Priced from $59,900 plus on-road costs, the GLB200 kicks off the line-up, powered by a turbocharged 1.3-litre four-cylinder petrol engine developing 120kW and 250Nm, all of which is sent to the front wheels via a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission.

Despite being the base model, the GLB200 boats a decent level of standard equipment including the now familiar side-by-side 10.25-inch digital screens, MBUX multimedia system, keyless go, electric tailgate, Artico upholstered Comfort seats, adaptive cruise control, smartphone mirroring, wireless charging, advanced satellite navigation, illuminated door sills, leather multi-function steering wheel, reversing camera, Comfort suspension, rain-sensing wipers, 19-inch alloy wheels and aluminium roof rails.

Standard safety gear includes nine airbags, active parking assist with Parktronic, adaptive high beam assist, blind spot assist, traffic sign assist, active lane keep assist and active brake assist with semi-autonomous braking.

In the middle of the range there is the $73,900 GLB250 4Matic which sheds the 200’s 1.3-litre engine in favour of a significantly more grunty 2.0-litre turbo mill good for 165kW and 350Nm.

Power in this case is put to the road by Mercedes’ 4Matic all-wheel-drive system via an eight-speed dual-clutch transmission.

Compared to the base model, the GLB adds a fair few more goodies and gadgets including a panoramic sunroof, powered and heated front seats with memory function, adjustable damping, sports steering and five-spoke 19-inch alloy wheels.

Also included as standard is an ‘off-road engineering pack’ comprised of speed-adjustable hill descent control and an extra driving mode specifically tailored for light off-road use.

In an added bonus the system also comes with an off-road light function which locks the headlights on up to 50km/h to help improve visibility when on “rough terrain in the dark”.

Sitting at the top of the GLB tree is the Mercedes-AMG GLB35 4Matic which will carry an $88,900 pricetag when it arrives later in the year.

Powered by the same force-fed 2.0-litre unit as the other compact ‘35’ variants, peak power and torque is rated at 225kW and 400Nm, fed to the road by all four wheels via an ‘AMG Speedshift’ eight speed dual-clutch automatic transmission.

Compared to the 200 and 250, the GLB35 is distinguished by more aggressive AMG styling all-round, AMG Night Package exterior trim features and unique 20-inch alloy wheels.

Under the skin it features a platter of go-faster goodies including an AMG exhaust system, high-performance brakes, speed sensitive steering and AMG Ride Control sports suspension.

Inside the performance theme is continued in classic AMG style with a Nappa leather-wrapped performance steering wheel, Lugano leather sports seats, Energising Comfort Control, brushed stainless AMG pedals and carbon interior trim.

While marketed as a genuine seven-seater, Mercedes admits the third-row seating only offers comfortable seating for those under 1.68m tall although the second row is able to be slid forward by up to 140mm.

Even so, there is 560 litres of boot space on offer with the third row folded flat, a number which grows to a healthy 1755 litres when the second row is folded away too.

The second-row seats themselves are split folding in a 40:20:40 arrangement and feature reclining backrests to enhance comfort.

Four Isofix anchorage points are offered in both rows for added seating versatility.

According to member of the Board of Management of Daimler AG Britta Seeger, the GLB range combines two of the brand’s highest selling segments.

“Every third Mercedes-Benz is now an SUV, every fourth a compact car,” she said.

“So a compact SUV such as the GLB blends all the success factors of our two highest-volume segments.”

So far this year ending April, Mercedes-Benz has sold 813 examples of the smaller GLA SUV and 122 B-Classes, accounting for 15.6 per cent and 3.0 per cent of the $40,000+ small SUV and $40,000+ small car segments respectively.

2020 Mercedes-Benz GLB pricing*

*Excludes on-road costs