GLB is yet another Mercedes-Benz SUV and has just been revealed at the 2019 Shanghai Auto Show.

Mercedes-Benz believes there is a market for a smaller seven-seater SUV in its product portfolio and has revealed a new vehicle positioned betweenGLA and GLC.

The concept SUV is called GLB and although it rides on the German brand’s compact SUV platform, there are three rows of seating. Mercedes says that clever cabin engineering makes those rearmost seats comfortable enough for medium sized adults, even on longer journeys, thanks to the second-row seats being 50mm rearwards and 90mm forwards adjustable.

Ranked in overall size the GLB measures 4.62m bumper-to-bumper, with a 2.82m wheelbase contained within those dimensions. That makes slightly more than 200mm longer than a GLA and only a touch shorter than the GLC. r

GLB features the current Mercedes SUV and bakkie design language with a bold twin-bar grille and rectangular headlights, featuring integrated LEDs. The rear shows-off a new tailgate stamping whilst the overall stance indicates raised suspension, higher than either GLA or GLC. Rolling in the wheel arches are aggressive BF Goodrich all-terrain tyres on an all-new split-spoke alloy wheel design, structured around five blades.

Powering the GLB concept is a Mercedes-Benz’s 2-litre turbocharged petrol engine, tuned to deliver 165 kW. That power is split in an 80/20 front axle bias, through Mercedes-Benz’s eight-speed dual-clutch transmission. An off-road mode resets the power distribution to a 50/50 arrangement between the front and rear wheels, for more balanced traction on loose surfaces.

Although the GLB is classed by Mercedes-Benz as a concept,a production version is expected to be released before the end of this year.

Further Reading

Mercedes-Benz GLA Facelift (2017) First Drive

Drag Race: Mercedes S65 AMG Coupe vs Mercedes GLA 45 AMG Edition1

Revealed: Mercedes' Revised GLC Coupe

Revised Mercedes-Benz GLC is a Stealth Hybrid