New 2026 Mercedes-Benz GLB to be ‘massive step up’
BMW X1 rival uses new platform and fresh tech for EVs and mild hybrids
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by Greg Kable
2 mins read
12 May 2025
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The next Mercedes-Benz GLB will go on sale in the UK next year and is described by a senior insider as a “massive step up” from the first-generation car.
Part of an ambitious wide-ranging offensive from Mercedes, the compact SUV will be joined by more than a dozen new models and facelifts over the next 24 months.
The new GLB will retain the distinctive upright silhouette introduced by the current car in 2019 but test mules show that it will be slightly longer and wider, with more of a focus on interior space and storage.
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Autocar understands it will also adopt a bolder-looking front end with new lighting signatures. These changes have been made possible by a switch to the new Mercedes-Benz Modular Architecture (MMA), the fourth model to use it. The outgoing GLB sits on the older Modular Front Architecture (MFA), which will be phased out in 2026.
Priced from around £45,000, the new Audi Q3 and BMW X1 rival will follow its CLA platform-mate in being offered with electric and petrol drivetrains. Both variants will wear the GLB badge, meaning the EQB moniker will disappear.
In a bid to further extend the model’s appeal, the new GLB will also receive a wider range of styling options, including an off-road package that brings a more rugged look similar to that of Mercedes’ original GLB concept, which was revealed in 2019. The move comes as prospective buyers continue to seek a more off-road-led appearance for SUV models, a senior insider involved in the new model’s development has told Autocar.
Inside, the GLB will move in step with the latest CLA by adopting a full-width digital display panel for instrumentation and infotainment. Material quality and design will also take a step up, with softer surfaces and more tactile physical controls. Like its predecessor, the new GLB will retain one of its key selling points: the availability of seven seats.
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Underneath, future electric GLB models forgo the 400V architecture of today’s EQB for a more advanced 800V system that supports both single-motor rear-wheel-drive and dualmotor four-wheel-drive variants. Power outputs are expected to range from around 230bhp to 355bhp, with battery capacities spanning 58kWh to 85kWh.
Mercedes chief technical officer Markus Schäfer recently confirmed that sportier AMG-badged variants of all the brand’s models are being worked up. This would result in a range-topping GLB that uses axial-flux electric motors and dedicated cylindrical-cell battery technology.
While it will primarily be sold as an EV, mildhybrid petrol versions will also be available. These will be fitted with a new electrified 1.5-litre turbo four-pot produced by Geely-Renault-owned company Horse. Outputs of 136bhp and 190bhp will be sent to the front wheels as standard – with four-wheel drive offered on high-specification models.
The new GLB is currently scheduled to be revealed in the second quarter of 2026 and reach UK showrooms in electric form first, with mild-hybrid versions following by the end of the year.
