Mercedes-Benz has lifted the cover on the next-gen GLB, an SUV reportedly based on the same platform as the CLA. The model is currently running extreme temperature tests before going on sale in all-electric and hybrid flavors on December 8, 2025.
Buyers will be choosing between a five-seat and seven-seat interior variants. Both now offer more legroom and headroom across all seat rows, as well as wider ranges of seat adjustments and an improved entry point for getting into the second-row and third-row seats.
The front half of the cabin seems copied from the CLA without any changes. The dashboard is dominated by a Superscreen arrangement composed of 10.25-inch and 14-inch displays, there is a large panoramic roof with a tri-point star pattern on it, and a smart voice assistant software running on a next-gen infotainment OS. The IR-reflective roof panel is included as standard, but you will be able to pay extra to make it dimmable or to add illumination.
All powertrain specs are pending, but given all the similarities with the CLA lineup, we expect the new GLB to use exactly the same motors and hybrid setups. We should be able to learn more when it debuts in three weeks’ time.
In the meantime, the company is subjecting the SUV to extreme cold and heat tests in dedicated thermal chambers. They can imitate a variety of weather and road conditions, even complex ones like driving at a high acceleration in freezing weather at –40ºC (–40ºF). The car is supposed to keep the interior comfortably warm and either clear the windshield mechanically or melt the snow fast enough for unrestricted visibility.
According to early results, the new GLB can achieve full unobstructed vision without engaging the mechanical wipers in 15 minutes at –15ºC (+5ºF). Next tests will include resisting intense sun irradiation and driving on asphalt heated to +70ºC (+158ºF).
