NEW MULTI-FUEL MERC GLB ON SALE EARLY 2026

Roomier seven-seater offers electric or hybrid power from roughly £41k

- FELIX PAGE

Mercedes has revealed the new, second-generation GLB as the chunky, seven-seat SUV sibling to the CLA. Familiar on the surface but all new underneath, the GLB is the second model to use Mercedes' new MMA architecture for compact cars, which accommodates both pure-electric and hybrid powertrains.

The new GLB is also the largest MMA-based model, with the smaller GLA crossover set to slot in underneath it next year. Stuttgart's overhauled family crossover will face little in the way of direct rivals, being the only premium offering in this segment that's available with either EV or ICE power and the option of seven seats. However, logical alternatives include the Tesla Model Y, Audi Q4 E-tron and Volkswagen ID 4. Other three-row electric SUVs are either much cheaper, like the Peugeot e-5008, or much pricier and larger, like the Volvo EX90 and Kia EV9.

The GLB will go on sale in early 2026 and command a premium of around £2000 over the equivalent CLA Shooting Brake - so expect a start price of roughly £41,000 for the combustion car and just under £50,000 for the EV.

DESIGN

The new GLB stays true to its predecessor in adopting a straight-edged, two-box SUV silhouette that nods to the outline of Mercedes' flagship G-Class off-roader - and, as before, the ICE and EV versions broadly share the same design.