The GLB is the first compact vehicle from Mercedes-Benz to offer a third seat row on request with two additional individual seats. The seats offer people up to a height of 1.68 meters a comfortable amount of space. The extensive safety equipment includes retractable head restraints, seat belts with belt tensioners, a side window airbag which also protects the passengers in the third seat row plus ISOFIX and TOP-Tether anchorages for suitable child seats. These can be used to attach up to four child seats in the rear.
The GLB will initially be available in two trims, the GLB 250 and GLB 250 4Matic. Both house a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine making 221 horsepower and 258 lb-ft of torque, paired with an all-new eight-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission. The all-wheel-drive 4Matic trim comes standard with an off-road package that includes additional drive settings designed to deliver better traction when the pavement runs out. The GLB isn’t intended to tackle challenging off-road terrain, but features such as hill start assistance and downhill speed regulation should make light exploration a breeze.
Interiors are seen with features that would also be seen in a regular Mercedes Benz. These include three rounded central vents, a widescreen cockpit and infotainment via an MBUX multimedia system and a 7” digital instrument cluster along with a 7” touchscreen display with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. There is also a long list of safety features present on the 2020 Mercedes Benz GLC with powered driver and passenger seats, keyless entry, a rearview camera, dual-zone climate control, white 912 led bulb fog lamps, cruise control and a power liftgate. It also gets active brake assist, adaptive braking, hill start assist, crosswind assist and Mercedes’ ATTENTION ASSIST system.
The interiors of the SUV follow the same design language as other Mercs with round AC vents and a 7.0-inch instrument cluster along with a 7.0-inch touchscreen infotainment display. Mercedes-Benz User Experience (MBUX) interface with voice control and various other features comes as standard too. Other optional features include parking assist, Burmester surrounds sound system, head-up display and others. As for the third row of seats, Mercedes is claiming that these can seat two medium-sized adults comfortably. Mercedes also says that it has made ingress into the third row easier with the EasyEntry system, which folds the second-row seats forward at the pull of a lever.
Mercedes-Benz on Monday unveiled the production-spec of the 2020 GLB-Class. It ditches the off-road ruggedness of its conceptual forebear, but make no mistake, the automaker still says it’s plenty ready for the dirt, even without its fender flares and blocky all-terrain tires. In production guise, it appears to be a compact luxury crossover with a lot of interior space and all the trimmings we’ve come to expect from a Mercedes-Benz at this juncture.
The new Mercedes-Benz GLB slots between the GLA and GLC SUVs and rides on the company’s compact car platform that also underpins the A-Class, CLA Coupe, and GLA SUV. However, Mercedes-Benz opted to stretch the overall dimensions—the GLB is 5.1-inches longer than its GLA sibling—to offer customers an optional third-row layout. With seating for up to seven, the new GLB aims to pull customers looking for luxury and space for a burgeoning family as the rear seats all have ISOFIX anchors for child car seats.