Compact GLB electric is Mercedes-Benz’s biggest bet on Singapore’s EV transition

SINGAPORE – If Mercedes-Benz is right, then you are looking at the brand’s most popular model in the coming years. With consumer preference moving swiftly away from petrol-engine cars, the electric version of the second-generation GLB is Stuttgart’s best hope to secure its market share in Singapore.

So in terms of registration numbers, the most significant Mercedes-Benz is not the widely celebrated E-class saloon or the stately S-class limousine, but this smartly packaged, seven-seat compact sport utility vehicle (SUV).

To give it the biggest chance of success, the GLB electric comes in two flavours – the 110kW GLB200 electric and the 200kW GLB250+ electric – so the car is represented in both Category A and Category B certificate of entitlement (COE) segments. If the price of one COE category surges to make the car too expensive against its class rivals, then customers can be drawn to the less affected COE-category model.

For drivers still hesitating about going fully electric, two petrol-hybrid versions are also on the way.

Despite the original GLB being a sales hit since its introduction in 2019, it remains the only compact seven-seater SUV among premium German brands. This is strange, given how German carmakers tend to be more susceptible to FOMO than Singaporeans are to the latest food craze.

The “fear of missing out” is why we have cars like the Mercedes-Benz GLE Coupe, which is modelled after the BMW X6, and there is a BMW 2-series Gran Coupe because Mercedes-Benz created the CLA.

Mercedes-Benz has actively upped its game with the new GLB. It is now more spacious, packs more technology and, as an electric car, delivers a much better drive than its predecessor in petrol-engine form.

The GLB has grown 48mm in overall length to create a roomier cabin. At 4,732mm, it sits some 232mm longer than the 4,500mm five-seater BMW iX1.

It is also 14mm shorter than before, at 1,687mm. By some packaging voodoo, headroom at the third row is up 10mm, although it is more realistic to use these rearmost seats for shorter journeys, than for a road trip to Melaka.

Those seated in the middle row will have nothing to complain about though. Whether in terms of head-, shoulder- or knee-room, three adults will fit here with ease.

As for luggage capacity, the boot space in five-seat mode is usefully deep, if a bit narrow for bulkier objects. With the third-row seats deployed, there is still just enough space for a couple of shopping bags in the remaining space behind the seats and the rear hatch.

The rest of your gear can go into the 127-litre storage compartment under the bonnet – a feature that is exclusive to the GLB electric. In the petrol-hybrid versions, the space would be taken up by the engine.

Speaking of what goes on under the bonnet – or rather, under the floor where the electric vehicle’s (EV) battery pack sits – the GLB250+ electric can cover up to 674km on a single charge, which is 221km more than the GLB200 electric.

Based on ST’s three-day test drive that covered just under 250km, the GLB250+ electric test car’s trip computer reading suggests a realistic total range of around 500km. We have Singapore’s tropical heat to thank, which saps battery range to run the air-conditioning at full blast.

In any case, that should still be sufficient for most drivers. When it comes to recharging, the GLB electric leaves many rivals behind by accepting up to 22kW for AC and 320kW for DC, thanks to its 800-volt electrical architecture.

On the move, the GLB 250+ electric does not leap off the line like a scalded cat at the push of the accelerator. Instead, progress is very linear, as if the torque has been deliberately capped to avoid the uncomfortable lurching that EVs can be prone to.

Even on slippery roads and with the accelerator forcefully depressed, the rear-wheel-drive car picks up speed cleanly and without drama.

That said, there are situations, like merging from a slip road, when the punchiness associated with EVs would be welcomed, although the experience is still far more effortless than in the previous GLB.

Then there are the synthesised sounds that the car makes. Among the options is an electronic warbling noise seemingly inspired by the spaceships in The Jetsons cartoon of the 1960s, which is quite entertaining.

While the boxy silhouette of the previous GLB has been carried over, the design resembles the rugged G-class even more closely, with its very upright nose. To dazzle, the car wears a blanket of illuminated three-pointed stars over its blanked-off front grille, so no one will mistake it for anything but a Mercedes-Benz.

The GLB’s blocky exterior design is echoed in the cabin architecture. The dashboard is compact with the digital screens set vertically, as if they are hanging off a cliff’s edge. The user interface is highly screen-centric, but easy enough to master. Setting up a smartphone to connect wirelessly to the system is a breeze.

Features like volume control and parking cameras can be accessed quickly via the row of touch-sensitive switches under the air-con vents. Less intuitive is the power window switch set-up for the driver.

Rather than having four separate switches, there are only two. By default, they control the front windows, unless you push a separate button to convert them to control the rear windows. It is the same in the Mercedes-Benz CLA-class, as well as in some Volkswagens and newer Volvos, and feels like an unnecessary change from tradition.

The vibrancy and responsiveness of the screens are top-notch, as is the tactility of most of the physical switches. These touches almost compensate for the hard plastics used in places like the centre console and sides of the boot, which was the case in the previous GLB, and is wholly on a par with its German rivals.

As a do-it-all family car, the GLB is a champ. It will gamely play ball when you are in the parent-rushing-for-enrichment-class mode; its nimble handling helps to shave precious seconds when slipping in and out of parking spaces.

The car can even park itself automatically, albeit with the driver on board. The system identifies available spots quite quickly and through the infotainment screen, and the driver can dictate which to go for. On a few occasions, the car ended up being too close to the next car on one side, rather than being in the middle of the space, and required extra manual adjustments.

Ride comfort is high by electric SUV standards, with just enough firmness to keep the body from pitching or leaning too much in the corners. There was an intermittent and mysterious creak from somewhere under the body that cropped up when the test car was driven gingerly across a road hump at an angle. This is likely unique to the test car, although Mercedes has yet to comment on the exact mechanical cause.

With its fresh design, cutting-edge tech and that rare seven-seat configuration, the GLB electric is primed to leave the usual German suspects in its dust. Along with the aggressive pricing and being available in both Category A and Category B COE segments, its position as the brand’s biggest seller seems all but assured.

The real challenge, however, is seeing off the threat of younger, EV-only brands that simply cannot be ignored. From Tesla to Zeekr, the choices are not only numerous, but also formidable. They may lack Mercedes’ brand cachet, but compensate with more power, features and arguably richer materials at temptingly lower prices.

Mercedes-Benz GLB250+ electric AMG Line Sport

Price: $326,888 with COE
Motor: Permanent magnet synchronous with 85.5kWh battery
Transmission: Two-speed, rear-wheel drive
Power: 200kW
Torque: 335Nm
0-100kmh: 7.4 seconds
Top speed: 210kmh
Power consumption: 19.4kWh/100km
Charging capacity: 22kW AC; 320kW DC
Range: 674km
Agent: Cycle & Carriage
Rating: ★★★☆☆

Comparable considerations

BMW iX1 eDrive20 (From $$310,888 with COE)

The iX1 arrived in early 2024 as BMW’s first Category A COE EV. With 110kW, it has exactly as much power as the GLB200 electric, but manages to be a bit quicker getting to 100kmh from rest, at 10.5 seconds – 0.8 seconds ahead of the Merc. The cabin is usefully spacious, even though it lacks the Merc’s added flexibility of having three rows of seats.

Volkswagen ID4 Pro ($307,900 with COE before applicable discounts)

Consider the ID4 as the electric SUV version of Volkswagen’s signature Golf, with the sensibilities of the hatchback distilled for the EV age and lifted slightly because everyone wants an SUV. Despite its smaller footprint, the ID4 does not feel drastically smaller than the GLB. Turn up the wick and the Category B COE EV becomes a rather spirited performer. It may have been launched globally in 2020, but the car is still a relevant EV today.

Zeekr 7X AWD Performance ($323,999 with COE before applicable discounts)

Founded in 2021, Zeekr was not even around when Mercedes-Benz unveiled the original GLB. The price of the GLB250+ practically buys the top-of-the-range Zeekr 7X. While it lacks the GLB’s third-row seat, the dual motor EV has more space, feels convincingly well-finished and, with 475kW, is a lot more powerful. Of course, with the high output comes a hefty road tax at an eye-watering $6,918, compared with the $2,090 for the GLB250+ electric.