Mercedes-Benz GLB-Class

The interior of the 2024 Mercedes-Benz GLB-Class looks familiar to the GLA-Class and the A-Class sedan. The sporty, multifunction steering wheel blends brushed aluminium, and high-quality leather with red stitching. The steering wheel’s buttons are intuitive. There are some ordinary plastics bits in the cabin but these have been kept to a minimum. The middle row gets enough legroom and headroom with a central handrest. The look and feel of the door-pads are below par. The bottom part of the dashboard and the glovebox are made of lower-grade plastics. The dashboard itself is dominated by a 10.0-inch touchscreen infotainment unit. The GLB 250 4Matic trim gets dual 12.3-inch units for the infotainment system and the instrument panel. The displays are crisp and clear. The powered tailgate reveals 130 litres of cargo space with all seats up. Folding the third row increases the space to 500 litres. The large windows forge a more spacious look inside the cabin. Overall, the cabin is typical to any Mercedes-Benz cars. The car’s sound insulation should have been better.

Following the 2024 updates, the Mercedes-Benz GLB-Class now comes with revised bumpers, taillights, and headlights. It has a sloping roofline but an otherwise boxy shape that’s quite common among crossover-SUVs. In fact, the car forges a great first impression. With its long beam, the GLB-Class looks bigger than its rivals. The upright grille, flanked by rectangular headlights, look attractive. The bonnet is long and flat and it helps in the aerodynamics. The squared-off wheel arches lend a solid stance, though the car is not as wide as other crossover-SUVs of its size. There’s a constriction on the shoulder line that raises towards the rear, making the car look tipped forward.

While the two front seats enjoy the maximum space, legroom on the second row is great too. The solid construction feels good. The backrest can be reclined. The seat itself is extremely supportive. The under-thigh support should have been better but that doesn’t make travelling uncomfortable. Like most crossover-SUVs, the third row is cramped. Space, comfort and access to the third row are very poor, particularly for adults. With the second row pushed back, there’s hardly any legroom for passengers on the last row. The seat itself is low and sloping roofline eats into the headroom. The suspension is a bit on the stiffer side and some bumps are felt in the cabin. There’s also a bit of body roll

The 2024 Mercedes-Benz GLB-Class 200 is equipped with a turbocharged, four-cylinder, 2.0-litre petrol engine that produces 221 PS/350 Nm. The motor is mated to an eight-speed dual-clutch transmission. Handling the car is easy. The engine is responsive and the transmission is seamlessly mated to the motor. The steering wheel is light and nicely balanced and promptly obeys driver inputs. Straight line performance is excellent and the car particularly excels on the highway. 

Mercedes-Benz has packed the 2024 GLB-Class with exhaustive safety equipment. The car gets seven airbags with curtain airbags that cover even the third row. There’s antilock braking, blind-spot monitoring, parking sensors, adaptive cruise control, and a rear-view camera. The car gets switchable active braking too, but the system sometimes become overactive. The tires have great road grip.

The 2024 Mercedes-Benz GLB-Class has a starting price of AED 179,600. It looks handsome and has a commanding road presence. It’s easy to handle and is well-mannered. It’s well-equipped and comfortable though it’s not a real seven-passenger car. But the third row isn’t regularly used in seven-seater cars. The Mercedes-Benz GLB-Class is a value proposition for those who want a premium crossover SUV.