Priced from S$182,888 for the GLB200 and S$231,888 for the hot Mercedes-AMG GLB35
Hot on the heels of the Mercedes-Benz GLA compact crossover comes yet another high-riding (sort of) vehicle from the house of the three-pointed star, the GLB.
Unlike however, the jacked-up hatchback looks of the GLA, the GLB takes on an altogether more traditional SUV profile, resembling its bigger brother the GLC. If you cast your mind a little further back, the GLB more resembles the GLK, the now-discontinued (and never sold in Singapore) forerunner to all compact SUVs in the Mercedes-Benz lineup.
The big news, however, is that the is the smallest, and consequently most affordable seven-seater SUV that Mercedes-Benz currently makes. And thanks to its boxy, shoe-shaped profile, it’s also the most practical, and if you don’t need the third row of seats, it can be folded away to free up space for cargo.
Launch variants include the GLB200, which comes with a 1.3-litre turbocharged engine producing 163hp and a hot AMG variant, the GLB35 that develops 306hp from its two-litre turbocharged motor.
Equipment levels across both models are, as expected, high. LED headlights and taillights are standard on every GLB sold here, along with a pair of 10.25-inch screens forming the central infotainment display and instrument cluster respectively.
On top of that, the GLB35, being an AMG model gets a sporty bodykit, along with added bits of AMG trim (read: racy) in the interior and AMG-specific instrument cluster graphics.
Prices start at S$182,888 for the GLB200 and for S$231,888, that gets you the GLB35, with the former being a hugely compelling draw price-wise, being just S$3,000 more than the GLA200.
That being said, it’s not the most affordable car in the segment, with the BMW 2 Series 216i Gran Tourer also touting the same seven-seater capabilities at only S$157,888, but that car with its distinctly MPV-esque form doesn’t quite have the same visual appeal as the GLB.
